


roses.

by lvlyhyuka



Series: bloom a new love [1]
Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Slavery, CEO Choi Beomgyu, Cheating, Crossdressing, M/M, Mentioned Other K-pop Artist(s), Mpreg, Not Beta Read, Slave Kang Taehyun, Smut, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:09:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 25
Words: 93,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27311683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lvlyhyuka/pseuds/lvlyhyuka
Summary: Kang Taehyun, like plenty of other slaves, was born a slave. He was bought by multiple people, and finally, when Taehyun was fifteen, people stopped buying him. But two years later, someone by the name of Choi Beomgyu buys Taehyun, and for the first time in forever, Taehyun falls in love.Too bad Beomgyu is straight, married, cold-hearted, and has kids, though.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: bloom a new love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2058297
Comments: 279
Kudos: 246





	1. New Home

**Author's Note:**

> don’t like, don’t read <3 
> 
> not me making another long fic 🙄🖐🏿 
> 
> enjoy, moas 🤡😘

Right when Kang Taehyun turned five and knew basic things, like how to walk, talk, run, and other things like that, he was sold. Sold as a slave, to be precise. He was torn away from the people he loved the most: his parents. They begged the slave’s company’s workers to not take their only child away, even offered for them to take them instead, but the workers didn’t listen. They tore Taehyun’s small hands away from his parents’, making him leave behind scratches as he kicked and squirmed and fought against the worker that was carrying him.

Ever since he was five, Kang Taehyun has been a slave. 

Ever since he was five, Kang Taehyun was torn away from his parents, the only people he ever loved.

Ever since he was five, Kang Taehyun lost his freedom to be a _human_.

He was sold multiple times to different people—whether they were rich, poor, women, or men. They all wanted the same thing: for Taehyun to do their stuff for them. It is against the law to sexually harass a slave, thankfully, and it is fully enforced. Anyone who _does_ sexually harass a slave faces a life sentence in prison, plus the punishment the government gives them. If slaves are being this protected, though, why can’t they just be normal humans?

The only people who aren’t slaves are rich and middle-class people. The poors are the slaves. Even some middle-class people, who can’t pay whatever debt they have back, are slaves. Taehyun just happened to be born into a poor family, and therefore was born a slave.

So far, in his fifteen years of living, Taehyun has been sold to fifteen people. He spent less than a year with some of his few owners because they remarked he was too sassy and stubborn. Unfortunately, there isn’t a law against abusing slaves, so, when Taehyun wouldn’t listen or obey, he’d get beat. He got used to it, but that doesn’t mean the hits don’t hurt. Taehyun even has a scar when he got badly beat around two years ago. It hurts, and it runs from the bottom of his eye to his jaw. Taehyun learned to ignore it, though, but he hates it when people stare at him, especially at his scar.

Finally, two weeks after Taehyun’s fifteenth birthday, he got amazing news: he would have a break from being a slave. Every slave stops being one when they turn fifteen, but that rule stops being enforced when they catch someone’s attention. Thankfully for Taehyun, his old owners told other owners about his attitude, so he’s _positive_ no one will want to buy a disobedient slave for a while.

And he was right. A year passed, and Taehyun wasn’t bought by anyone. But when another year passed, and two weeks after his seventeenth birthday, he gets dreadful news.

_“What?”_

“Congrats!” the worker says. “You’re back to being a slave again.”

“N-no, I’m not,” Taehyun denies, as he slowly starts backing away. “I-I’m seventeen. I-I can’t be a slave again.”

“Technically, the rule only applies if someone doesn’t want you,” the worker says with a smile. “So, congrats, Kang Taehyun. Someone offered to buy you.”

The color drains from Taehyun’s skin. Who would even want to buy someone as bratty, disobedient, and stubborn as Taehyun? Who in their right mind would do that? They’d have to be crazy or something.

“W-who offered to buy me?” Taehyun still can’t help but ask.

“Good question,” the worker says as she looks down at her file. “The Choi family offered to buy you.”

“Th-there’s a lot of Chois in the area,” Taehyun says pointedly.

“Well, then, Choi Beomgyu and Choi Jisoo,” the worker says. “They offered to buy you. Don’t worry, we already ran their background check, and they’re good. They even have two children: twin girls. They’re both five.”

“D-don’t they know about my background?” Taehyun questions.

The worker shrugs. “They do, but they don’t care. So, they offered to buy you for more than eight grand, and we’re taking the money, whether you like it or not. Congrats, Kang Taehyun, you’re a slave again, and you’re moving into the Chois’ house- well, _mansion_ this Sunday.”

“Th-that’s tomorrow,” Taehyun mutters.

“Exactly,” the worker says. “Good luck, sweetie.” With that, she walks away, a slight skip in her step.

Taehyun is now left alone, the door of his small, cozy apartment still opened.

(the slave company offered their slaves a small, cozy apartment when they turned fifteen since they have nowhere else to go, but of course, they have to leave if they’re bought.)

Two years like that, gone. Taehyun will start being a slave once again tomorrow, and he doesn’t know what’s in store for him.

He just hopes it’s nothing bad.

\--

The next morning, Taehyun is woken up when there’s harsh knocking at the door. He groans and opens his eyes. He’s met with darkness, so he knows the sun isn’t even up. He lets out a small whine as he remembers what today is. He hesitantly gets up, and walks toward the door, seeing two buff guys in suits, and the same female worker from yesterday.

“Hi, Taehyun!” she greets, a bit too happily at three a.m. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Taehyun sighs. He can’t take anything with him, so he’s ready. 

“Good,” the worker says. She takes out a bag and shoves it in Taehyun’s hands. “Change into this.”

Taehyun sighs, and without opening the bag, he already knows what’s in there: two pieces of rag for clothes. What he’s wearing right now is just sweats—slaves like him can’t have anything fancier—but the rags are worse. His old shirt kept falling off his shoulder, and his old pants kept falling off his hips. It got so worse where even his old male master was eye-raping him openly.

“Are they my size?” he asks.

The worker shrugs. “Figure out yourself, Taehyun. Hurry up. We leave in five.”

Taehyun nods, and the other three step inside his place. One of the buff guys close the door behind them, and Taehyun walks toward his room to change. He undresses and takes out the rags from the bag. He pulls on the shirt and isn’t that surprised when it falls off his shoulder. He pulls the sleeve up with a huff and pulls the pants on next. Thankfully, they’re almost a perfect fit, since they’re only a bit loose, but Taehyun can live with that. He sighs in relief, and leaves everything in his room, before walking back outside.

“I-I’m ready,” he announces.

“Good,” the worker says. “About time, too. Let’s go.” The two buff guys let Taehyun walk in front of them first, and Taehyun does. He walks behind the worker, and she leads him toward a black car. He gets inside, the buff guys getting in after him. “We’re ready to go.”

Taehyun notices the driver in the front nod, before she shifts the gear to drive, and starts driving. All Taehyun can do now is sit up straight as he impatiently waits to get to his new home.

\--

Not that Taehyun kept count, but twelve hours, twenty minutes, and ten seconds later, they arrive in front of a _huge_ mansion. The tiles are cream-white, whilst the roof tiles are a dark shade of red. It has multiple windows and is at least a two-story house. There is an oval patch of grass with some medium-tall bushes in front of the house. It has a set of cream white marble stairs leading up to brown double doors. The house itself is probably more than a thousand square feet, and the whole thing is probably more than that. It is around twelve p.m. now, so there is obvious movement in the house.

“Welcome to your new home, Taehyun,” the worker says, snapping the slave out of his thoughts. 

“Th-this is my new home?” he asks. All of Taehyun’s old masters were never _this_ rich.

“Yeah,” the worker replies, unbuckling herself. “Let’s go.”

The worker and the buff guys get out first before one of them pulls Taehyun out of the car. He stumbles lightly on his feet but manages to catch himself. The worker glances back to make sure Taehyun is with them before she starts leading them toward the entrance. They all climb up the stairs, and Taehyun would be lying if he said his feet and knees aren’t sore by the time they finish climbing up the stairs. The worker rings the doorbell, and they wait for the door to be opened.

It is a few seconds later, a beautiful brown-haired male with long hair, emerald green, puppy eyes appearing. He’s wearing the same attire as Taehyun, but he has a small smile on his face. “H-hello.”

“Hello,” the worker greets. “What’s your name?”

“J-Jared,” he replies. “W-who are you people?”

“We’re with the slave company,” the worker says. “Are your masters home, Jared?”

“O-only one of them,” he says. Jared opens the door wider to let the four in. “C-come in.”

“Thanks,” the worker mutters as they all step inside.

Taehyun isn’t that surprised that the inside of the mansion is even fancier and bigger than the outside, but he’s still fascinated. He looks around in awe before they all hear the clicking of heels hitting the marbled floor as the sound nears them. When Taehyun looks up, he sees a beautiful raven-haired female wearing a beige short-sleeved turtleneck, tucked into black pants, and white shoes. Her raven hair is wavy, and she has light makeup on her face as if she’s going out somewhere.

“Good evening,” she says as she faces the four. The female’s eyes immediately go toward Taehyun, and to his surprise, her smile brightens at the sight of him.

“Good evening, Mrs. Choi,” the worker returns. “Is your husband home?”

“Ah, no,” ‘Mrs. Choi’ replies, shaking her head. “But I’m here.”

“R-right,” the worker mumbles, a bit flustered. “Well, Mrs. Choi, we brought you your new slave. Slave, introduce yourself.”

Taehyun lets out a small grunt, not liking being called ‘slave.’ Nevertheless, he looks up at Mrs. Choi, his anger vanishing a bit when he sees her kind smile. “M-my name is Kang Taehyun, and…I am pleased to now belong to the Choi family.” All slaves are forced to say that, or else they’d get a beating.

(not that taehyun cared, but mrs. choi’s smile is kind enough for him to.)

“Welcome, then, Taehyun,” she says. “I hope you enjoy staying here.”

Taehyun just nods, not wanting to speak his mind for now. The worker sighs, and she smiles at Taehyun.

“Well, good luck then, Taehyun,” she bids. She looks at Mrs. Choi. “If Taehyun gives you guys any trouble, you know where to find and call us.”

Mrs. Choi nods. “Thank you.” The worker nods this time, and she bows to Mrs. Choi, gives Taehyun a stern look before she and the buff guys walk out of the Choi’s residence. Once the door closes behind them, Mrs. Choi lets out a sigh of relief, shaking her head. “So noisy, right?” Taehyun looks at Mrs. Choi in surprise, wondering if she’s talking to him. But Taehyun isn’t allowed to speak without permission, so he doesn’t say anything. “Oh. You’re allowed to talk whenever you want to, Taehyun. I don’t care about that stupid rule.”

Taehyun’s mouth drops slightly open, but he quickly closes it. He’s then quick to bow. “Th-thank you, Mrs. Choi.”

“Please, call me Jisoo,” she allows. Jisoo’s eyes rake down Taehyun’s frame, and a curious look grows on her face. “You seem young, Taehyun. How old are you?”

“I-I barely turned seventeen two weeks ago,” he replies.

“Oh, so you’re still young, then,” Jisoo muses, making Taehyun nod. “Well, don’t worry, then, Taehyun. We won’t make you do _that_ much stuff around here. What’s your favorite food?”

“Uh…” Taehyun doesn’t know whether he should reply or not, but decides the former, in case Jisoo gets mad at him. “Well, um…I guess cheese tteokbokki.”

Jisoo nods. “Great. We’ll add that to our menu. Favorite drink?”

“I-I’m sorry, but why are you asking me th-this?” Taehyun hesitantly asks. “I-I’m supposed to eat what’s given to me or leftovers.”

“Welcome to our home, Taehyun,” Jisoo says, “where we treat everyone as humans, and not as worthless cattle. So, favorite drink?”

“Salted caramel latte,” Taehyun mutters, feeling his cheeks starting to heat up. “Or anything sweet, really.”

“Oh, you’re just like our little girls,” Jisoo coos.

Taehyun almost forgets that Jisoo and her husband have children. “W-where are they, by the way?”

“They’re still at school,” she replies. “The chauffeur will pick them up soon.”

Taehyun nods, and he looks at Jisoo. “C-can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” she allows.

“W-why did you buy me?” Taehyun questions. “Y-you seem like you enough people.”

Jisoo sighs. “Well, it’s practically _the law_ to have a slave. If you don’t, you’re weird, and you’re treated differently from other people. My husband and I decided to buy you just so no one would treat us differently. My husband’s already at the top of the chain of famous CEOs, and he figured if we didn’t have a slave, he would lose that spot. But don’t worry, we won’t treat you any different, Taehyun.”

The younger nods. “W-will you ever release me?”

“That’s an answer you shouldn’t know, Taehyun,” Jisoo reminds. 

“R-right, sorry,” Taehyun mutters.

“It’s fine,” Jisoo assures with a small smile. “Ready to continue the rest of the tour?”

\--

Four hours later, Jisoo and Taehyun are finally done with the tour of the mansion. It's a pretty big place, so maybe that’s why it took so long to finish the tour. But of course, the part where Jisoo and Taehyun practically stopped in every room to talk and be gossips doesn’t count.

“Your room will be right here,” Jisoo says as she and Taehyun arrive at their last spot.

“Th-this is my room?” he says in disbelief.

“Yeah,” Jisoo chuckles as she and Taehyun walk inside.

“Wow,” he gapes. In Taehyun’s old masters’ houses, they always had a slaves quarter, or sometimes they’d even sleep next to the dumpster. But this…this is more than nice. Taehyun even gets his own bed, his own counter, his own dresser, his own closet, even his own _bathroom_. “Th-this is amazing, noona.”

“Ah, it’s no biggie,” Jisoo says. “Well, besides the room, I’m sorry to say that we can’t buy you nicer clothes, Taehyun. We don’t know when the authority will stop by our house for the next slave inspection, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“It’s fine, noona,” Taehyun assures. “This is more than enough.”

Jisoo nods. “Well, are you hungry? I think the twins are home now. You can meet and have lunch with them.”

“That sounds nice,” Taehyun agrees.

Jisoo nods again, and she and Taehyun walk out of the younger’s room. They walk downstairs until they reach the living room, where they see the chauffeur barely stepping inside the mansion, two beautiful twin girls in front of him.

“Mommy, we’re home!” the twins call out, taking their backpacks off.

“Hi, angels,” Jisoo greets.

The twins look at the direction their mom’s voice came from, and their eyes light up. “Mommy!”

Jisoo giggles and she accepts her daughters in her arms. Taehyun smiles softly at the scene, but feels a pang in his gut, knowing he can never be in his mother’s arms ever again. Taehyun shakes his head, shoving the thought to the back of his head. Around two minutes later, the twins and Jisoo pull away from each other, and Jisoo smiles at them. She stands up, and she motions toward Taehyun.

“Twins, this is Kang Taehyun, our new…worker,” she introduces, not wanting to say the word ‘slave’ in front of her five-year-old daughters. “Taehyun, these are my daughters: Choi Yeona and Choi Yoonah.”

“Hi!” the one with a flower crown in her raven hair greets Taehyun enthusiastically, waving her small hand at him. “I’m Yeona, and I’m younger than my twin by one minute!”

“Hi!” the other one with her raven hair up in a bun greets Taehyun enthusiastically as well, waving her small hand at him. “I’m Yoonah, and I’m older than my twin by one minute!”

Taehyun giggles and he waves his hand slightly at them. “Hi. I’m Taehyun.”

Jisoo smiles, and she turns toward her daughters. “Girls, are you hungry?”

“Yeah!” Yoonah replies. “Been starving since lunch.”

“Oof, me, too,” Yeona agrees, and the two high five.

“How do you two feel about having lunch with Taehyun?” Jisoo continues.

“Okay!” Yoonah and Yeona say in unison.

“Mommy, can we have dino chicken nuggets again?” Yoonah asks with puppy eyes.

As much as Jisoo wants to give in to her daughter’s cute puppy eyes, she doesn’t. “No. We had some yesterday. Why don’t we let Taehyun decide?”

Taehyun immediately starts panicking. What if he says something, and the twins don’t like it? What if that makes Jisoo disown him? What if he ends up in the streets? What if he dies? What if he gets run over by a car, and Jisoo’s the one riding it, whilst- _Taehyun, stop. Focus._ “Uh…how about some pizza? I’ll even make it.”

“Ooh, pizza!” Yeona cheers. “Can we, mommy? Pretty please?”

“Uh, sure,” she allows. 

“Yay!” the twins squeal before they run toward the kitchen.

“Are you sure you want to make the food, Taehyun?” Jisoo asks.

Taehyun nods. “Yeah. I’ve made food before without burning it.”

“Okay,” Jisoo chuckles. “By the way, Yoonah’s allergic to gluten, so make sure to use the gluten-free cheese. It’s in the red bowl. I’m going to go upstairs, and go shower.”

“Shower?” Taehyun repeats. “Aren’t you already dressed?”

“I haven’t showered since last night,” Jisoo quietly admits, which makes Taehyun release a small laugh. “I’ll be back. Can you take care of the twins?”

Taehyun nods. “Take your time, noona.”

“Thanks,” Jisoo says with a smile before she quickly goes up the stairs.

Taehyun sighs, and he walks toward the kitchen. He can already see Yoonah and Yeona fighting over which pizza Taehyun should make, but stop when they notice Taehyun walking inside the kitchen.

“Hi, Taehyun-Oppa,” the twins greet in unison, smiling innocently.

“Hi,” Taehyun returns. “What were you guys talking about?”

“Uh, Star Wars,” Yoonah lies.

Taehyun nods, not believing Yoonah. “Well, how about I make cheese and pepperoni pizza?”

“Yeah!” the twins reply in unison.

“Can we help, Taehyun-Oppa?” Yeona questions with puppy eyes.

Unlike Jisoo, Taehyun actually gives in to Yeona’s puppy eyes. “S-sure, girls. Uh, Yoonah, can you take out the red bowl in the fridge, and Yeona, wash your hands. You, too, Yoonah.”

“Yes, Oppa!”

\--

Thirty minutes later, Taehyun, Yoonah, and Yeona are covered in flour, tomato sauce, and pieces of cheese. They already have the pizzas in the oven, which they barely put in a second ago, but at least the pizzas are starting to cook. Taehyun actually started the playful food fight, smearing a bit of tomato sauce on Yoonah’s nose. The little girl found it amusing, did the same to her twin before the whole thing started. They started with tomato sauce, flour, the ingredients, and then water. They are drenched in what they had used, but it was fun, so it was worth it.

“Hehe, Oppa, you have sauce all over your face,” Yoonah says teasingly.

“You do, too,” Taehyun shoots back as he playfully sticks his tongue out.

“What the heck happened in here?”

At the new voice, the three jump, looking in the direction the voice came from. But once Taehyun’s eyes land on the male, his eyes widen, and he starts to feel hot. The male has to be no other than Jisoo’s husband and the twins’ father, Choi Beomgyu. He’s _handsome_ —more than that, even. Taehyun can see why Jisoo agreed to marry this man. Not only is he handsome, but he looks _hot_ with his black suit on, his silver hair only appealing to his look even more, and the sleeves of his suit are slightly rolled up, showing the veins in his hands and arms.

_Look away, Taehyun, look away-_

“Daddy!” the twins say excitedly as they quickly run over toward their father.

“Twins, you got my suit dirty,” he sighs as his daughters smear their face all over their father’s slacks.

“Hehe, sorry, daddy,” Yeona says sheepishly.

“It’s…fine,” their father mutters. “Where’s your mommy?”

“She’s taking a shower,” Yoonah replies. “Daddy, why did you come home so early?”

“I got the news we got a new slave,” he explains.

Yoonah slightly tilts her head in confusion. “What’s a ‘slave’, daddy?”

“Your mom didn’t tell you?” he says, looking down at them.

Yoonah and Yeona shake their heads. “No.”

“Well, it’s what Taehyun is. A _slave_. I don’t know why and where he got the brilliant idea that it’s a good idea to play around with my daughters when he should be working and cleaning.”


	2. Ice

“Well, excuse me, but your wife actually allowed me to play with them,” Taehyun says, crossing his arms. “She even told me to take care of them, whilst she showered.”

“Did I give you permission to talk, slave?” Beomgyu says with a cold look in his eyes,] as he glares at Taehyun.

The brown-haired male opens his mouth to retaliate, but he quickly closes it. Beomgyu’s right—he _didn’t_ give Taehyun permission to talk, so if Taehyun does without permission, he might get punished, Beomgyu probably wouldn’t want him anymore, he’d make his wife agree, and Taehyun would get thrown into the streets again. Someone will probably want him again and treat him way worse than Jisoo ever did. So, Taehyun keeps his mouth shut, his fists clenched by his sides.

“Woah, what’s going on here?”

At the new voice, everyone looks up, seeing Jisoo dressed in a black hoodie that’s four times her size—probably Beomgyu’s—and loose gray pants. Her raven hair is wet, and her face is makeup-free, which doesn’t change her beauty at all.

“Mommy!” Yoonah says as she’s quick to run over toward Jisoo, Yeona quickly following behind her. “What’s a ‘slave’?”

“W-who told you that word?” Jisoo asks. 

“Daddy,” Yeona replies.

Jisoo sighs. “Beomgyu, I thought we agreed to not use that word in front of the twins.”

“They’d have to know it sooner or later,” he says pointedly.

“You couldn’t have waited five more years?” 

“No.”

Jisoo rolls her eyes. “Twins, you must never use the word ‘slave’, okay?”

“But daddy called Taehyun-Oppa that,” Yoonah says.

“Well, still don’t say that word,” Jisoo says. “Especially to Taehyun. He’s more than that.”

“Why are you always teaching our daughters the wrong things?” Beomgyu says, raising an eyebrow.

“Why are _you_?” Jisoo shoots back with a frown. “We made an agreement, Choi.”

“Well, agreements are made to be broken,” he mutters. “I’ll be up in my office if any of you need me.” Beomgyu shoots Taehyun with a disapproving look, especially at his rags of clothes, before walking away. The twins start to go after him, but Jisoo pulls them back.

“Your father needs to rest now, twins,” she says. Jisoo makes a mental note to herself to scold Beomgyu about his behavior, especially toward Taehyun, and make him apologize to Taehyun later. For now, the twins and Taehyun need to eat. “Taehyun, the pizzas should be ready by now, right?”

Technically, Jisoo didn’t give Taehyun permission to talk—she didn’t say it _verbally—_ so he nods without saying anything. He turns around, and opens the oven, seeing that the pizzas are well cooked by now. Taehyun pulls on a mitten and takes out the two pans the pizzas are in. He places them down on the counter and takes out three plates: one for Yoonah, one for Yeona, and one for Jisoo. He places two slices of pizza on each plate and places them on the kitchen island. He then walks over toward the corner and stands there with his head bowed down.

“Taehyun-Oppa, aren’t you going to eat?” Yoonah asks as she sits down on one of the stools of the kitchen island.

Taehyun shakes his head without saying anything.

Jisoo sighs, probably finally figuring out what this is all about. “Did Beomgyu tell you to not speak?” Taehyun hesitates before he nods. “You can speak, Taehyun. _I_ permit you to talk whenever you’d like, and if my idiotic husband tells you you can’t, ignore him, because I’m the one permitting you.”

Relief washes over Taehyun, and he finally looks up at Jisoo, smiling up at her. “Th-thanks, noona.”

“Of course,” she says. “Now come eat. The third plate is for you.”

“W-what about you?” Taehyun asks.

“I’m on a diet,” Jisoo replies. “I can’t eat any fatty foods for a while.”

“You look gorgeous, though,” Taehyun mutters.

“Thanks, but according to the media, I don’t,” Jisoo says. “I’ll be fine, Taehyun. Just eat.”

Taehyun nods, and he sits down next to Yeona as he grabs his slice of pizza, and starts eating.

\--

Around two hours later, Taehyun has already cleaned the kitchen, living room, and his own room, despite Jisoyo telling him not to. Taehyun assured he wanted to, which was true—he’d feel empty if he didn’t do any bit of cleaning in a whole day. He spent a bit of time playing dolls with the twins, and talking with Jisoo, before the ravenette called it a day, and took the twins to the bathroom to bath them. She told Taehyun he can have a bath if he wants to in his bathroom since Jisoo had made sure to leave toiletries in there before he came.

Currently, Taehyun is walking inside his room, still not believing how big it is. Taehyun softly closes the door behind him, and walks over toward his bed, before falling back on it, almost moaning out loud at how _soft_ and _comfortable_ the mattress, the sheets, and pillows feel underneath him. The old ‘things’ he slept on back in the day were hard as a rock, and always made his neck and back sore. But now he can finally sleep on a comfortable bed with no consequences.

(that is if the authority doesn’t find out, but they won’t.)

Taehyun hums a small tune as he hesitantly gets up from his comfy bed, and walks toward the bathroom. It’s a bit smaller than his bedroom, but it’s still pretty huge. Everything looks so neat and shiny, and Taehyun gapes around in awe. When he looks down at the sink, he sees a pair of navy blue pajamas with a note attached to it.

 _I got you some pj’s, in case you don’t want to sleep in those rags_ , the note says. Probably courtesy of Jisoo. _You don’t have to wear them if you don’t want to, but I wanted to buy them since I want you to feel comfortable. You don’t have to pay me back, so enjoy, Taehyun. Good night :)_

Taehyun smiles at the note, feeling as if he’s going to tear up. Jisoo’s the nicest and warmest person, besides his parents, that Taehyun has ever met. He can’t believe how lucky he got to have an owner like her. Smiling, Taehyun pulls the rags of clothes he has off, leaving himself naked, before he walks over toward the bathtub, and turns the water on. Both Beomgyu and Jisoo are rich, so Taehyun hopes he can use as much warm water as he wants. 

When the water gets hot enough for him, Taehyun puts a pink bath bomb, which is rose-scented, inside the water, which immediately fills up the room with the scent. Taehyun breathes it in deeply, before he steps inside the water, this time letting out a moan when the warm water touches his cold skin.

-

“Good night, girls,” Jisoo says as she stands up from her crouching position near Yeona’s bed.

“Good night, mommy,” Yoonah and Yeona say in unison.

“Sleep well,” Jisoo bids. Yoonah and Yeona nod, their eyelids already starting to droop from their long day. Jisoo smiles at her daughters, before she walks out of their room, closing the door behind her. She sighs and starts walking toward Beomgyu’s office, remembering the mental note she made for herself earlier. When she arrives outside, she knocks on the door. “Beomgyu? May I come in?”

“Yes, dear,” he replies.

Even if Beomgyu had said no, Jisoo would’ve still gone in. She opens the door and finds Beomgyu sitting by his desk, his MacBook in front of him. He has his blazer off, hanging around the back of his rolling chair, with papers filling his desk.

“Hey,” Jisoo greets as she closes the door behind her. “How’s everything going?”

“Tiring,” Beomgyu sighs. He looks up at Jisoo. “Why did you come here, dear?”

“We need to talk.” 

Beomgyu raises an eyebrow. “About?”

“Your behavior earlier,” Jisoo says, crossing her arms.

Beomgyu sighs, and he rubs his temple. “Dear, please. I’m tired. Can’t we talk about this later-”

“No, because your behavior’s only going to get worse,” Jisoo says. “You’re paying attention to me, Choi Beomgyu.”

The male knows better than to refuse, so he nods. “Go ahead, then.”

“Good,” Jisoo huffs. “What was that? I thought we agreed on something. Especially about our treatment to Taehyun.”

“He’s not even a person,” Beomgyu scowls. “He’s a _slave_ , Jisoo. What am I supposed to do? _Not_ treat him like one? We bought him for a reason.”

“Yes, so your position at the chain of top CEOs wouldn’t go down,” Jisoo grits out. “Show him some respect. I already told him why we bought him, and if your rude behavior continues, he’s going to bail.”

“He can’t do that,” Beomgyu scoffs. “He needs permission.”

“And he’ll get it from me,” Jisoo says. “I’m not married to a bastard. I’m married to a kind, loyal man, who doesn’t treat anyone differently. Is this the example you want to set for the twins? Do you know how confused they are, by even the freaking word ‘slave’? We agreed to say _worker_ , Beomgyu. Did you forget about that?”

“No,” he mutters.

“Then?”

“Look, it just slipped out, okay?” Beomgyu grumbles. “I was tired from work, and when I arrived home to see a _stranger_ playing around with my daughters, how do you expect me to react?”

“Well, you could’ve been nice, and asked Taehyun who he is,” Jisoo says pointedly. “Sometimes I don’t even know what’s going on in your brain, Beomgyu.”

“Fine, I’m sorry,” he apologizes.

“I accept your apology,” Jisoo says. “But someone else needs to accept it, too.”

“Who?”

“Taehyun.”

“Really?” 

“Beomgyu,” Jisoo says in a warning tone. “You’re going to apologize to him. I’m not asking if you want to.”

“But-”

_“Go.”_

Beomgyu sighs, and he gets up from his chair. Despite being way taller than Jisoo, the ravenette still seems to tower over him, and Beomgyu frowns at her. He walks out of his office and starts walking toward Taehyun’s room, not believing he’s about to apologize to a _slave_ for his behavior.

Around a minute later, Beomgyu arrives outside Taehyun’s room and doesn’t bother knocking on the door.

(why should he when a slave doesn’t deserve privacy?)

But Beomgyu’s mouth drops, and his eyes widen when he sees that Taehyun _doesn’t have any clothes on_ , which means he’s fully naked.

-

Sadly, Taehyun soon has to get out of the tub when the water starts getting cold. He lets out a small groan and gets up from the tub. He bends over slightly to uncover the drain, making the water immediately go down it. Taehyun sighs, and he grabs one of the fluffy towels nearby. He ruffles his hair with it and dries his skin slightly with the towel. He doesn’t bother wrapping it around himself as he walks outside to his room. He places the pajamas on the bed and doesn’t hear the door opening.

Taehyun thinks he’s alone until he hears the gasp behind him.

Taehyun’s eyes widen, and he quickly untucks the bed’s bedsheet and covers the front of his body with it in a hurry. He turns around and is surprised, confused, and angry all at the same time when he recognizes Beomgyu.

 _“Beomgyu?”_ Taehyun scoffs. “What are you doing here?”

“Why are you naked?!” Beomgyu shoots back.

“I barely got out of my bath!” Taehyun exclaims. “What are you doing here?! Y-you perv!”

“I didn’t know you were going to be fucking naked!”

“Yah, don’t curse at me!”

“I can if I want to! I’m your master, and I bought you!”

Taehyun takes a deep breath, knowing if he and Beomgyu continue fighting, they’ll get nowhere. “There’s this thing called _knocking_ on the door and waiting for a response. What are you doing here?”

“J-Jisoo made me,” Beomgyu grumbles. “Are you still naked?”

“N-no,” Taehyun mutters.

At that response, Beomgyu slowly turns around and opens his eyes, relieved to see that he doesn’t see Taehyun’s smooth back, with his s-line showing, his curvy yet slim waist and hips, his small yet plump ass, and slim, tan, smooth legs anymore (which is kind of a bummer for him). “Oh, thank god.”

“W-why did Jisoo-noona make you come here?” Taehyun asks once again.

“Ah, right,” Beomgyu mutters. He forgot the reason why he did come here, because of Taehyun’s smooth and beautiful backside. “She made me come here to…apologize.”

Taehyun raises an eyebrow. “For what?”

“For…my behavior earlier,” Beomgyu replies hesitantly. “I-I know I was being irrational earlier, and I’m sorry for that. I-I’m also sorry I…acted as if you weren’t a human, which you clearly are. Please…forgive me.” Now, Beomgyu’s a bit of a narcissistic and selfish person, so _he_ doesn’t apologize. Other people do, so it took him a bit of time to get those words out.

“O-oh.” Taehyun is just as surprised as much as Beomgyu wants to leave the situation right now. “W-well, um, thanks.”

“That’s it?” Beomgyu says. “‘Thanks’?”

“Yeah?” Taehyun frowns. “What else do you want me to say? You were pretty rude, Beomgyu.”

“Yeah, don’t…call me that,” he says. 

Taehyun raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “What do you want me to call you, then? ‘Master’?”

“Sure,” Beomgyu agrees. He notices Taehyun opening his mouth to retaliate, but Beomgyu is quick to speak before he can: “Well, I’m going to go now. Bye.”

“Beomgyu-”

“It’s master!” he calls out as he walks away.


	3. Rude

Taehyun stands there, kind of fuming at Beomgyu. Even though the male apologized, it didn’t seem like he meant it. Nevertheless, Taehyun’s going to take what he can, especially since Beomgyu is rich, and Taehyun isn’t. If he wants, Taehyun can even _brag_ about how Beomgyu, a millionaire, begged for forgiveness from Taehyun, who’s _way_ poorer than Beomgyu will ever be.

(which of course isn’t true—beomgyu didn’t _beg_ , but taehyun doesn’t care.)

Taehyun then sighs, and with a huff, walks over toward his door to close it. Beomgyu the noob didn’t do it before he left, so now Taehyun has to do it. As he walks back toward his bed, something suddenly hits him like puberty: Choi Beomgyu, his new master, just saw him _naked_. Taehyun’s face immediately turns red at the fact and lets out a small groan. He’s sure Beomgyu didn’t get turned on or anything, because he’s married to Jisoo, so he must be straight. But still, the _pure embarrassment_ is there, and Taehyun can’t help but slump down on his bed, smushing his face against his pillow.

He just hopes Beomgyu won’t bring it up ever.

-

Beomgyu walks back toward his office, whistling a small tune. He opens the door and is startled when he sees his wife sitting on his desk, giggling as she types on her phone.

“Dear?” Beomgyu calls out, closing the door behind him. “What are you doing here?”

“I was waiting for you,” Jisoo replies, looking up from her phone.

“Who are you texting?” Beomgyu asks as he sits down on his chair, pulling Jisoo onto his lap. 

“Oh, just the girls,” she says.

Beomgyu nods, and he smiles at Jisoo. He softly entangles his fingers in her hair and pulls her down to go in for a kiss, but she pulls away before their lips can touch. Beomgyu looks at her in slight shock.

“W-what’s wrong?” he asks.

“Did you apologize to Taehyun?” Jisoo demands.

“Yes,” Beomgyu sighs. “You can even go ask him.” At the mention of going to Taehyun’s room, the memory of seeing Taehyun’s glamorous naked backside runs across Beomgyu’s mind, and he slightly squirms in his chair. Jisoo looks at him confused.

“You okay?” she questions.

“Yeah,” Beomgyu lies. “Just a bit itchy.”

Jisoo slowly nods, not knowing whether she should believe Beomgyu or not. She decides to question herself about it later and goes back to the subject of Taehyun. “When tomorrow comes, and I ask Taehyun if you apologized, and he says no, you’re in big trouble, Choi Beomgyu.”

The silver-haired male knows Jisoo is deadly serious when she uses his full name, so he nods. “Y-yes, ma’am.”

“Good,” she huffs. Jisoo lightly pecks Beomgyu’s lips, before getting off his lap. “I have paperwork to finish, so I’ll be in my office.”

Beomgyu nods. “Make sure to go to sleep early.”

“Same to you,” Jisoo returns, and she shoots Beomgyu a stern look before she closes the door of his office behind her.

Beomgyu sighs, now left alone. He opens the lid of his MacBook, and as it starts loading and turning on, the picture of Taehyun’s naked backside runs through Beomgyu’s mind again, and he lets out a groan. The screen of his MacBook soon turns on, and Beomgyu quickly types in his password, hoping that his pile of work will distract him from thinking about Taehyun.

\--

Since the brown-haired male has been trained to get up early ever since he was two, it’s reasonable that he wakes up earlier than everyone else. By the clock on the wall, Taehyun knows it’s around 3:35 in the morning right now. He can hear silence outside his room, so he knows everyone else is asleep. He gets up from his bed, and heads toward the bathroom to change and do his morning business. He changes out of his comfortable pajamas into the dirty rags from yesterday, neatly folding the pajamas. He places them on the counter of the bathroom, before walking back outside. He walks out of his room and slowly walks toward the stairs. He climbs each one with care and soon reaches the bottom.

All the lights in the house are off, but if Taehyun turns the one in the kitchen on, he figures it won’t wake up anyone. He heads toward the kitchen and turns the light on. The kitchen is a bit messy, so Taehyun starts cleaning it before he starts making breakfast for everyone.

The next person to wake up is Jared, and he just sends Taehyun a smile before starting to do his stuff. The other workers start waking up as well, and soon the mansion is filled with slight chatter and noise. Taehyun just continues cleaning and making the food. Around forty minutes after all the workers woke up, Jisoo wakes up and is surprised to find Taehyun mopping the living room floor.

“Taehyun?” she calls out.

Taehyun looks up, a bit surprised to see Jisoo, but he smiles at her. “Good morning, noona.”

“M-morning,” she returns. “What are you doing up? I thought you were still asleep.”

“I’ve been trained to wake up early,” Taehyun says. “I’m used to it, so it’s okay. Um, I already cleaned a few of the rooms, and I made breakfast for everyone. I just need to heat it.”

“Kang Taehyun, you are an angel,” Jisoo says. “I would hug you, but the floor is wet.”

“H-how am I an angel?” Taehyun chuckles.

“Well, we don’t have a cook, so I always wake up to make breakfast,” Jisoo explains. “Which means I have to wake up early, and then I have a long day at work. The twins are a lot of work, too, and then I have even more work to do when I get home. I don’t go to sleep until midnight. And sometimes, if I’m lucky, until eleven-fifty.”

“Oh,” Taehyun says. “Well, don’t worry, noona. I can start making breakfast from now on. You deserve your sleep.”

“You sure?” Jisoo says. “I’d feel guilty if you don’t want to do it.”

“I’m sure,” Taehyun reassures. “You can continue sleeping.”

“Oh, am I glad to hear those words,” Jisoo says. “Can you wake me up around 6:45?”

Taehyun glances at the clock on the wall nearby; it’s 5:45. “So in an hour?”

Jisoo nods. “Please.”

“Sure,” Taehyun says. “Sleep well, noona.”

“Thanks,” Jisoo says before she climbs up the stairs to go back to hers and Beomgyu’s bedroom.

\--

An hour and five minutes later, Taehyun is knocking on the door of Beomgyu’s and Jisoo’s bedroom. He doesn’t want to just storm in, because that’d be rude and disrespectful.

(despite beomgyu doing it to him last night, and taehyun wanting revenge, the brunette knows he can’t, because jisoo doesn’t deserve it.)

“W-who is it?” To Taehyun’s surprise, Beomgyu’s deep, groggy voice comes.

“M-me,” Taehyun replies, Beomgyu’s deep morning voice sending shivers down his spine.

Beomgyu doesn’t bother hiding back his groan. “What are you doing here, slave?”

“Yah, Beomgyu, what did I tell you?”

“You said to be nice. You never said I couldn’t call him slave.”

Jisoo sighs. “You can come in, Taehyun.”

The brunette pushes open the door, seeing Beomgyu and Jihyo both laying on their bed, their bedsheets covering their bodies. They aren’t naked, since Taehyun can see Jisoo’s purple silk pajama shirt, and Beomgyu’s white shirt. Taehyun steps inside their bedroom, and leaves the door slightly opened.

“Um, I came to wake you up, noona,” he says, feeling kind of awkward.

“Oh, shit, right,” Jisoo says as she stands up. “What time is it?”

“Um…six-fifty.”

“Oh, fuck,” Jisoo curses as she quickly gets up from hers and Beomgyu’s bed. “Taehyun, can you get the first outfit in my closet? The shirt is a sky blue.”

Taehyun nods, watching with slightly worried eyes as Jisoo runs inside the bathroom they have in their room. “You okay, noona?”

When Jisoo doesn’t reply, Beomgyu does for her: “She has an important meeting to go to today. That’s why she told you to wake her up at 6:45. Why’d you wait five minutes?”

Taehyun immediately feels guilty, and quickly walks toward what he assumes is Beomgyu’s and Jisoo’s closet, especially at how big it is. But it turns out it is only Jisoo’s closet, the space filled with skirts, dresses, and other feminine clothing. Taehyun is fortunately quick to find the outfit with the light blue shirt and takes it out. “I-I just wanted her to have the extra sleep.”

Beomgyu chuckles, shaking his head. “You are stupid, slave.”

Taehyun frowns at Beomgyu, placing the outfit down on the older’s and Jisoo’s bed. Jisoo soon walks out of the bathroom with her raven hair straightened and light makeup on her face. Without a warning, she starts unbuttoning her pajama top, and Taehyun is quick to turn around, his eyes widening as his face turns red.

“Don’t you have work today, dear?” Jisoo asks as she pulls the shirt over her head.

“Ugh, I do,” Beomgyu sighs as he gets up from his and Jisoo’s bed. “Do you want me to go in the same car as you?”

Jisoo shakes her head. “It’ll take too long, and I’ll be late.”

Guilt hits Taehyun’s chest. “I’m sorry, noona.”

“It’s fine, Taehyun,” Jisoo assures. “It’s my fault for giving you the wrong time.” Taehyun nods, biting his bottom lip. Despite what Jisoo did, Taehyun still can’t help but feel guilty. Why does he always have to mess up everything up? He’s a stupid slave, just like Beomgyu said. “I’ll see you two later,” she says, pulling up the zipper of her black skirt. “Bye, you two.”

“Bye, dear.”  
“Bye, noona.”

Beomgyu and Taehyun say bye in unison, but it seems as if Jisoo doesn’t care as she quickly runs out of hers and Beomgyu’s bedroom. Beomgyu and Taehyun are now left alone, and Taehyun is the first to look at Beomgyu. The older seems to forget Taehyun is here, though (or not), as he turns around. Beomgyu starts pulling off his shirt, and Taehyun quickly coughs, so Beomgyu stays dressed.

“What are you still doing here, slave?” he demands, raising an eyebrow at Taehyun.

“Y-you didn’t give me permission to leave,” he reminds.

“Ah, right,” Beomgyu mutters. “You can leave.” Taehyun nods, and he bows before he starts to leave the room. Before he can, though, Beomgyu calls him back. “Wait.”

Taehyun stops, and he turns to look at Beomgyu. “Y-yes?”

“Have you made breakfast already?” he asks.

“Yes,” Taehyun replies, nodding.

“What did you make?”

“U-um, chocolate pancakes for the twins, and waffles and fruit for you and Jisoo-noona.”

“Well, too bad,” Beomgyu says, taking his shirt off. Taehyun’s eyes widen as he sees the abs on Beomgyu’s stomach, and is quick to turn around, his face turning red. “I don’t like waffles, and I don’t like fruit. Throw them away, and make me a black coffee instead. Make sure to put the precise amount of six grams of sugar. If you don’t, it’ll go bad for you. Understand, slave?”

Taehyun badly wishes Beomgyu would stop calling him ‘slave’ but doesn’t say anything. “Y-yes.”

“Yes, what?”

At first, Taehyun is confused as to what Beomgyu means by that but then remembers his and Beomgyu’s ‘argument’ last night. “Y-yes…master.”

“Good,” he grumbles. “Leave now, slave.”

Taehyun nods, and he closes his eyes before he bows in Beomgyu’s direction. He is then quick to leave Beomgyu’s and Jisoo’s room. Taehyun sighs in relief once he’s out in the hallway, trying to calm down his racing heartbeat. He walks back downstairs into the kitchen, and frowns as he sees the waffle batter he spent ten minutes making. He opens the fridge and throws away the food on Beomgyu’s and Jisoo’s plates. Taehyun places the dishes in the sink and starts working on Beomgyu’s coffee. Taehyun doesn’t put anything in it, besides the coffee beans, and soon pours it into a thermos cup.

_“Make sure to put the precise amount of six grams of sugar.”_

Those words run through Taehyun’s mind, and he frowns. How the hell is he supposed to know what six grams of sugar are? Is it possible for Beomgyu to be any pickier? Taehyun huffs, and he grabs the pack of sugar from the pantry. He grabs a spoon and scoops up a spoonful of the sugar. He does it slowly, so ten small dots of white are on the spoon. Taehyun carefully takes off a few by slightly turning the spoon, but that makes all of the sugar fall. Taehyun groans and he scoops up some sugar again.

It takes a long time, but finally, ten minutes later, Taehyun gets exactly six grams of sugar on the spoon. He sighs in relief and dumps them all in the coffee. He stirs the liquid until he decides it’s good and places the spoon in the sink. He’s closing the cup with its lid when he hears footsteps going down the stairs. Looking up, Taehyun notices it’s Beomgyu, which makes him hold back a groan. 

“G-good morning, master,” he greets, forgetting to do so earlier. Before Beomgyu can point it out, and get mad at him for it, Taehyun is quick to bow.

“Where are the twins?” Beomgyu demands, instead of returning the ‘good morning.’

“Th-they’re still sleeping,” Taehyun replies. “Why?”

Beomgyu lets out a frustrated sigh. “You didn’t wake them up?”

“N-no,” Taehyun says in a small voice.

“God damn it, slave!” Beomgyu yells, making Taehyun jump. “Can’t you do anything right?”

“D-don’t yell at me like that!” he yells back. “I-I didn’t know, okay?”

“Don’t yell at me,” Beomgyu says lowly. “You’re _no one_ to be yelling at me, you useless slave. Did you make my coffee?”

“Y-yes,” Taehyun answers.

“Yes, _what?”_

Taehyun holds back a frustrated sigh. “Yes, _master.”_

Beomgyu rolls his eyes. “Since you couldn’t do it, I’m going to wake up the twins. Their food better be ready by the time we’re downstairs.”

“Y-yes, master,” Taehyun says. Beomgyu ignores Taehyun before he turns around to walk upstairs toward the twins’ room. Taehyun makes sure Beomgyu is out of earshot before he curses Beomgyu under his breath multiple times. “Despite being so fucking hot, he’s a cold son of a bitch, that bastard.”


	4. The Mall

Thankfully, by the time Taehyun hears multiple pairs of footsteps going down the stairs, he has already set the twins’ food down on the table and Beomgyu’s coffee. When he turns around, Taehyun sees that the twins are dressed in matching uniforms, Yoonah’s and Yeona’s hair down. They’re both giggling and jumping up and down as Beomgyu holds their hands, the three of them walking down the stairs.

“Taehyun-Oppa!” the twins cheer, as soon as they immediately recognize the brown-haired male in the kitchen.

“Hi, twins,” he greets with a smile. “How did you two sleep?”

“Awesome!” Yoonah replies. “I dreamt that I was floating on rainbows with unicorns, and we were eating lots of candies!”

“Wow, that sounds like an amazing dream,” Taehyun comments. “What about you, Yeona?”

The little girl opens her mouth to speak, but her father clears his throat. “I think it’s time to leave now, twins, or else you’re going to be late to school.”

“Aw, but I was about to tell Oppa about my dream,” Yeona frowns.

“Don’t call this s- Taehyun ‘Oppa’, twins,” Beomgyu says sternly. “Get your food, and let’s go.”

“W-what should we call him, then, daddy?” Yoonah asks as she grabs her food. “I thought ‘Oppa’ was a term for respect toward older guys from girls.”

Taehyun holds back a snicker, knowing Yoonah is right. But Beomgyu doesn’t seem to care and grabs their hands. “Just call him Taehyun. No ‘Oppa’ or anything.”

“Why-”

“Let’s go,” Beomgyu orders.

Yoonah and Yeona look at each other with pouts on their faces, but their pouts are quick to vanish. They grab their food and look at Taehyun with huge smiles. “Bye, Taehyun!”

“Bye, girls,” he returns, slightly surprised they listened to Beomgyu.

The twins wave at Taehyun before they turn to walk beside Beomgyu. The three walk out of their mansion, and a few seconds later, Taehyun hears the front doors close. Taehyun lets out a sigh and looks down at the counter. He knows Jisoo would want him to eat, so that’s what Taehyun does, deciding to use the rest of the waffle batter he didn’t use earlier.

\--

For the next five hours, Taehyun spends it cleaning the house with the other maids/slaves. The only other slave beside Taehyun is Jared, but the long-haired boy doesn’t say a word to Taehyun. The brunette guesses Jared is mute, or too shy to say anything, so he doesn’t say anything, either. Taehyun assumes he’s the only one close to Jisoo since the rest don’t talk about her much. The only thing they do mention about her is her work hours, but nothing else. Taehyun thinks that’s weird, yet doesn’t question it.

Taehyun is mopping the stairs when he hears footsteps approaching them. He opens his mouth to tell the person to go away, since he’s mopping, and doesn’t want them to dirty the still wet floor, but he’s surprised when he sees Jared holding out the home phone to him.

“It’s Mrs. Choi,” he says. “She wants to talk to you.”

Taehyun raises an eyebrow slightly in confusion, placing the mop down. What might Jisoo want to talk about? She wouldn’t set Taehyun free, right? Maybe she would, because of Taehyun’s stupid mistake in the morning. Taehyun gulps, and carefully climbs down the stairs. He thanks Jared as he grabs the phone, pressing it against his ear. 

“N-noona?”

“Hi, Taehyun!” Thankfully, Jisoo doesn’t sound mad at all. “Are you busy right now?”

“Um, I was just mopping the stairs,” Taehyun says truthfully. “Why?”

“Well, stop what you’re doing, and meet me outside,” Jisoo says. “I have a surprise for you.”

Taehyun slightly tilts his head in confusion. “What do you mean by that, noona?”

“Just come outside,” Jisoo says without explaining. “We’ll explain everything once we get there.”

Taehyun opens his mouth to ask who’s ‘we’, but Jisoo has already ended the call. Taehyun sighs, and he places the phone back in its place. Despite what Jisoo said, Taehyun finishes mopping the stairs, before dumping the water, and placing the mop and bucket back where they belong. He then waits outside for Jisoo and whoever’s she’s bringing outside, desperately hoping it’s no one related to the slave company.

Ten minutes later, a nice black Aston Martin DBS pulls up into the driveway, Jisoo in the passenger’s seat. The car is filled with three other girls Taehyun doesn’t recognize, and the driver soon stops the car in front of Taehyun. Jisoo rolls the window down and smiles at the younger.

“Get in, Taehyun,” she says.

Taehyun steps closer to Jisoo until they’re face to face. He lowers his voice to a whisper: “W-who are these people, noona?”

“They’re my friends,” Jisoo says. “Guys, meet Kang Taehyun. Taehyun, meet Jennie Kim, Park Chaeyoung, and Lalisa Manoban.” Jisoo points to each of them as she introduces them.

“Hi, Taehyun,” the other three females greet in unison.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” the brown-haired female, Jennie Kim, says with a smile.

“Yeah,” the pink silver-haired female, Park Chaeyoung, agrees. “We’ve heard so much about you from Jisoo.”

“Y-you have?” Taehyun is slightly surprised.

“Yeah,” the silver-haired female, Lalisa Manoban, says. “Don’t worry, it’s great stuff.”

“Are you going to get in?” Jisoo asks.

“U-uh, sure,” Taehyun mutters as he gets inside the car. He sits down next to Jennie. “Where are we going?”

“We are going to the mall to get you some clothes,” Jisoo replies.

Taehyun’s eyes widen. “B-but what about the authority? Th-they’re going to take me away if they find out-”

“Everything’s going to be fine, Taehyun,” Jennie assures. “Chaeyoung’s part of the authority, and she’s going to make sure nothing happens to you.”

Taehyun looks at Chaeyoung with hopeful eyes. “A-are you sure?”

Chaeyoung nods. “I’m sure. You have nothing to worry about, Taehyun.”

“We’re also going to buy you as many clothes as you want,” Jisoo says. “It doesn’t matter how much money it costs. We have the money, so get whatever you want, Taehyun.”

“A-are you sure I can buy whatever I want?”

“We’re sure.”

\--

Over the span of the next few minutes to get to the mall, Taehyun has gotten to know Jisoo’s friends very well. For example, Lalisa is from Thailand, and she likes to be called Lisa. She even teaches him a bit of Thai. Chaeyoung also likes to be called Rosé, and she was born in New Zealand, hence her Australian accent. Jennie moved to New Zealand, hence why she knows English as well. The three are really nice as well, and Taehyun can see why Jisoo became friends with all of them. When they arrive at the mall twenty minutes later, Taehyun is surprised when he sees the parking lot filled with expensive cars, people—mostly females—walking around with designer clothes and shoes. If people see Taehyun wearing rags, they’re going to immediately know he’s a slave, and judge his clothes and himself. But if they know the girls are going to buy clothes for him, they’re going to call the authority just like that.

“H-how are we going to do this?” he asks.

“What do you mean?” Lisa says.

“Everyone’s going to know I’m a slave, because of my clothes,” Taehyun says. “And they’ll call the authority if they see you guys buying clothes for me.”

“Tae’s right,” Jennie agrees. “Is it okay if we call you ‘Tae’?”

“I don’t mind,” he assures.

“I think I have spare clothes in here somewhere,” Rosé says as she starts digging around.

“Why would you keep clothes in here, Rosé?” Lisa says with a small frown. “This is Jennie-unnie’s car.”

“I keep stuff in here all the time,” Rosé says. The others except Taehyun shake their heads at her as Rosé continues looking. A minute later, she finally finds what she’s been looking for, and holds up a bag. “Here it is. I think they’re your size, Taehyun.”

The youngest nods, and he opens the bag. But Taehyun’s surprised to see that there’s only a pastel pink halter crop top, a high-waisted black box pleated skirt, and white shoes. He looks up at Rosé. “A-are these the only you have?”

“Yeah,” she replies sheepishly. “Sorry, Tae.”

“It’s fine,” he says. 

“Are you okay wearing these?” Lisa asks.

“Yeah,” Taehyun assures. “Um, can you guys turn around whilst I change?”

“O-oh, yeah, of course.” The four girls turn around, letting Taehyun have some privacy, whilst he changes.

Taehyun quietly thanks them as he gets the clothes out of the bag. He sets the bag aside and places the crop top, skirt, and shoes to his side. He undresses, leaving him naked with only underwear on as he pulls on the crop top first. It fits him nicely around his neck and only stops barely an inch above his belly button. The strings around his neck don’t bug him as much, and it feels loose around him. He pulls on the skirt next, and it stops at his thigh, a few inches above his knee. Fortunately, he finds socks in the bag, pulls them on, before he pulls the white shoes on as well. 

“I’m done,” he announces.

The other four turn around, their eyes widening once their eyes land on Taehyun.

“Wow, Tae,” Jisoo says, looking Taehyun in the eye. “You look hot.”

Taehyun instantly turns red, and he looks down to avert eye contact. “Th-thanks.”

“Unnie,” Jennie scolds quietly as she nudges Jisoo’s arm.

“What?”

Rosé shakes her head. “So, are we all ready to go, then?”

The others nod, and they all get out of the car. Taehyun gets out last, since, you know, ladies first, and closes the door behind them. The skirt immediately starts inching up his thighs, and Taehyun’s eyes widen as he quickly tries to pull it down.

“Don’t even bother, Taehyun,” Lisa sighs. “All skirts do that. It’s a waste of time trying to pull them down.”

“W-what if my underwear shows?” Taehyun asks quietly.

“It doesn’t,” Jennie assures. “Ready to go?”

Taehyun lets out a small frown, not sure if his underwear is really showing or not. Nevertheless, he nods, and he and the other four start walking inside the mall. Even when they weren’t inside the mall yet, people were starting to stare at Taehyun, especially at his choice of clothes. But now that they _are_ inside the mall, it feels as if everyone is staring at Taehyun.

Rosé doesn’t seem to notice or mind, though. The other girls don’t, either. “Where do you want to go first, Tae?”

“Um, I don’t know,” he admits. “I’ve never been here before.”

“Right,” Lisa mutters. “Well, do you want us to lead the way?”

Taehyun nods eagerly, and Jisoo lets out a giggle as she grabs Taehyun’s hand to start leading him toward the nearest shop.

For the next five hours or so, Taehyun and the other four spend it at the mall. They all pull Taehyun toward store after store, and Taehyun honestly doesn’t mind. They buy him all sorts of clothes, even clothes ‘meant for women’—of course, they ask him first, and Taehyun takes a bit of time to think about it before he agrees—and they all ignore the looks people give them. They eat dinner, Jisoo’s treat, before they continue shopping some more. Around ten o’clock in the night, the five decide to leave, since some of the stores are already starting to close. Jennie drives this time, whilst Taehyun sits in the passenger seat, everyone else in the back. 

“Are you sure you don’t want any more clothes, Tae?” Jisoo asks as they stop outside their house.

“I’m sure,” Taehyun replies. “Besides, I think more than ten bags are enough. Thanks, by the way, noonas. I’ll pay you all back somehow.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it, Tae,” Jennie assures before she surprises Taehyun by pulling him into a hug. Taehyun is startled, just standing there with his arm hanging there awkwardly, before he decides to wrap them around Jennie. As they pull away, Taehyun is pulled into hugs by the other two, before they let go of Taehyun, making him feel a bit overwhelmed by how warm and cozy their hugs are.

“We’ll see each other later, girls,” Jisoo says as she helps Taehyun get out of the car. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight!” the others return, before Jennie shifts the gear to drive, and her car is soon gone from Jisoo’s driveway.

“Your friends are nice, noona,” Taehyun says as he and Jisoo walk up the set of stairs to head toward the door. “Where did you find friends like that?”

Jisoo shrugs. “Guess I was lucky.” Taehyun lets out a small smile as Jisoo places the bags she’s carrying down. She takes out the keys and unlocks the front door. She lets Taehyun walk inside first, and he does, Jisoo walking in behind them. To their surprise, they see Beomgyu and the twins in the living room, the twins bothering Beomgyu as the male tries to work. “Hey,” she speaks up. “We’re home.”

Immediately, the twins’ eyes are on her, and they yell out “Mommy!” as they run toward Jisoo.

“Thank god,” Beomgyu mutters under his breath, relieved the twins finally leave him alone.

(of course, he still loves his daughters, but he badly needs to concentrate on his work.)

“Hi, twins,” Jisoo greets, surprised that the girls are still awake since they should’ve gone to bed almost three hours ago.

“Mommy, where did you and Taehyun go?” Yoonah asks. “Yeo and I missed you and Taehyun!”

“We had somewhere important to go,” Jisoo says. “What happened to calling Taehyun ‘Oppa’?”

“Daddy said we shouldn’t do it anymore,” Yeona immediately replies, known for ratting out anyone, even her own father.

“Of course he did,” Jisoo mutters under her breath, so the twins won’t hear. “Well, at least call him ‘Taehyun-ah.’ You both like him, don’t you?”

“Of course!” Yoonah says. “He’s very pretty!”

“Aw, thanks, Yoonah,” Taehyun says, smiling. “You’re very pretty, too.”

“Hey, what about me?” Yeona pouts.

Taehyun smiles down at her. “You’re pretty, too, Yeona.”

The little girl smiles sheepishly, her cheeks turning a bit red. Jisoo smiles at the sweet scene, thinking nothing of it. “Come on, girls, time to take a bath.”

“Yay, bath!” Yoonah squeals as she eagerly runs up the stairs.

“Yoonah, calm down!” Jisoo calls out as she and Yeona go after Yoonah.

Taehyun smiles at Yoonah’s eagerness, before realizing that Jisoo left Beomgyu and Taehyun alone. By the time Taehyun realizes it, Jisoo is long gone with the twins. He can still hear the twins’ giggles from upstairs, but that won’t help the awkwardness he’s starting to feel. He only stares at Beomgyu, too afraid to move an inch, especially since he remembers he’s wearing _‘women’s’_ clothes instead of his usual rags. Knowing Beomgyu, the male is going to be bothered by that.

At that fact, Taehyun grips the handle of his bags, before he quickly starts walking toward the stairs. He places his foot on the first step, but he hears Beomgyu say, “Slave.”

Taehyun holds back a groan, and he takes his foot off the first step. He places his bags down next to the stairs, and walks over toward the living room, until he is in Beomgyu’s eyesight, but not directly in front of him. Taehyun bows, before he says, “Yes, master?”

“Get me something to drink from the kitchen,” Beomgyu orders, not looking up from his laptop. “Make sure it’s strong.”

Taehyun nods. “A-anything else, master?”

“That’ll be all,” Beomgyu replies.

Taehyun nods, and he bows before he starts walking toward the kitchen. He looks through the liquor cabinet, sure Beomgyu wants an alcoholic drink, and his eyes soon land on a whiskey bottle. Taehyun takes it out and a glass. He serves the drink, before walking back toward the living room. He places it softly a few inches away from the stack of papers on the coffee table.

“Here’s your drink, master,” he says.

“Thanks,” Beomgyu mutters. His hand reaches for the glass, until he sees familiar tan, smooth skin out of the corner of his eye. He looks up and almost chokes on his own saliva when he realizes Taehyun is wearing a _freaking halter crop top_ and _a black skirt_. “W-what the hell are you wearing?”

Taehyun curses under his breath. He was really hoping Beomgyu wouldn’t notice his outfit. “U-uh, I’m just wearing clothes, master.”

“No,” he denies. “Those are _women’s_ clothes. Where are your rags?”

“I-I don’t know, master,” Taehyun says truthfully. He knows he left them in Jennie’s car, but he doesn’t know if Jisoo picked them up or not, before they left the others.

Beomgyu sighs, and he rubs his temples. “Why don’t you know?”

“I…” Taehyun racks his brain for an excuse but doesn’t find any. “I-I don’t know, master.”

“Do you not know _anything_?” Beomgyu asks coldly.

Taehyun gulps, and he fights the urge to snap something back to Beomgyu. “N-no, master.”

“Of course you don’t,” he grumbles. “You’re just a useless slave, after all. You’re free to leave. Oh, and next time I see you in… _women’s_ clothes, I’m kicking you out of my damn house.”

Taehyun nods. “I-I’m sorry, master.”

Beomgyu ignores Taehyun and continues working. Taehyun bites his bottom lip, and bows to Beomgyu, before walking back toward the stairs. He picks up the bags of clothes and other accessories he has and starts climbing up the stairs. As he walks toward his room, he can’t help but think about what Beomgyu said.

_Is wearing women’s clothes really that bad?_

-

As Beomgyu hears Taehyun’s footsteps walk away, and hears them getting fainter and fainter, Beomgyu lets out a sigh. If he’s being honest, he secretly _loves_ the sight of Taehyun in the halter crop top and black skirt. He doesn’t know why, but Beomgyu thinks Taehyun’s body was _made_ to wear ‘women’s’ clothes. Hell, he looks better in them than Jisoo ever did.

(well, in beomgyu’s opinion, anyway.)

Beomgyu doesn’t even know why he told Taehyun he would kick him out if he ever wore those types of clothes again when he secretly hopes Taehyun does. Beomgyu lets out a groan at himself, knowing he shouldn’t be thinking like this about Taehyun, a _stranger_ , when he has a _wife_ , whom he loves very much, and _two daughters_ , whom he also loves very much. 

Beomgyu just hopes these stupid feelings he feels about Taehyun will go away soon.


	5. Friends

When Taehyun walks inside his room, his eagerness of taking a warm bath again in his _extremely nice_ bathroom goes away, because of Beomgyu’s attitude. Instead, Taehyun places his bags beside his closet, which is still empty, and immediately takes off the crop top and skirt. Although the clothes belong to Rosé, Taehyun doesn’t find enough energy to care, and he throws them onto the floor. He feels tears starting to burn in his eyes, and he lets a few fall. He lets out a small sob as he stares at the crop top and skirt getting creased on the floor. Taehyun kicks the clothes away from his sight and heads inside his bathroom. He takes off his boxers and turns on the water of the shower. He turns the knob to the coldest setting, and gets inside, closing the door behind him. Taehyun then sits down on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest as he sobs, letting the water drown out the sound of his sobs.

For the next twenty minutes, Taehyun sits there in the shower, letting the ice-cold water hit his skin. He starts shivering and would’ve gotten a bit of frostbite if it weren’t for someone knocking on the door.

“Taehyun?” The brown-haired male luckily recognizes the voice as Jisoo’s. “Are you in here?”

“I-I’m in the shower, n-noona!” Taehyun calls out.

“May I come in?”

“Y-yeah!”

Taehyun hears the door of his room opening, and the sound of footsteps hitting the floor. The footsteps near the bathroom door and Jisoo knocks on it.

“Tae, you okay?” she asks. “I thought I heard some crying.”

At the mention of crying, Taehyun chokes up again, but he pushes the tears back down. “I-I’m fine, noona. I-it was probably just the TV.”

“Are you sure?” Jisoo says, a bit doubtfully. “You can tell me anything, Taehyun.”

The brunette contemplates whether he should complain about Beomgyu to Jisoo, before deciding not to, because what if Beomgyu finds out? He might threaten Taehyun, or kick him out, which is the last thing Taehyun wants. “I-I’m sure, noona. I’m just tired from our long day. You should go to sleep.”

“Okay…” Jisoo says slowly. She doesn’t sound entirely convinced, but for now, Taehyun can’t care less. “Well, get some rest, Tae. Goodnight.”

“G-goodnight, noona,” he returns.

Taehyun soon hears Jisoo’s footsteps walking away, and the door of his room soon closing. Taehyun lets out a sigh of relief and turns the knob to heat the water. His shivering comes to a stop, and he takes a quick shower. He gets out, dresses into the pajamas he wore yesterday, brushes his teeth, before walking out of the bathroom. Taehyun immediately turns off the light and climbs onto his bed. He pulls the bedsheets up to his chin and fights back the urge to cry again as he tries to fall asleep.

\--

“Oh, wow, that sounds very interesting,” Jisoo says as she pulls Yoonah’s pajama shirt below her head. Both Yoonah and Yeona are telling Jisoo about their day at school, and she half pays attention, half doesn’t.

“It was!” Yoonah agrees. “And then Yeo and I ate string cheese before we continued watching the movie.”

“Wow,” Jisoo says. “So, did you two have fun?”

Yeona nods eagerly. “Of course! Can we go again, mommy?”

“It’s a school activity, so I don’t think so, Yeo,” she chuckles as she finishes dressing Yoonah. Yeona is already dressed since she learned how to do it by herself a few days ago. Although being the older twin, Yoonah still needs help.

“Mommy, what’s that noise?” she asks suddenly.

Jisoo looks at Yoonah in confusion. “What do you mean, angel?”

 _“That_ noise,” Yeona says, seeming to hear it as well.

Jisoo raises an eyebrow and listens intently to see what the twins are talking about. And then she hears it: the muffling sound of what seems to be sobs…coming from Taehyun’s room. Jisoo lets out a small frown. Did one of the girls treat Taehyun badly today? Is he okay? Why is he crying?

“Is that Taehyun-ah, mommy?” Yoonah questions.

“I don’t know, angel,” Jisoo mutters. “But don’t worry about it. I’m sure he’s okay.”

After five minutes of convincing them Taehyun is okay, the twins finally agree to brush their teeth, before going to sleep. That’s exactly what they do, and Jisoo tucks them in, just as she promises to do each night, even if she doesn’t arrive on time for their bedtime. 

Jisoo leaves the twins’ bedroom after tucking them both in and closes the door softly behind her. Taehyun’s room is two doors down from the twins’, so Jisoo walks over toward the room. Before she enters, she knocks on the door to make sure she can come in with Taehyun’s permission.

“Taehyun? Are you in here?”

It takes a second, before Taehyun replies, “I-I’m in the shower, noona!”

A bit of relief falls over Jisoo, but she still wants to make sure Taehyun is okay. “May I come in?”

Thankfully, Taehyun says, “Y-yeah!”

Jisoo opens the door to Taehyun’s room, glad it is unlocked. She walks over toward the door of the bathroom and knocks on it. 

“Tae, you okay?” she asks. “I thought I heard some crying.”

“I-I’m fine, noona,” Taehyun answers. “I-it was probably just the TV.”

“Are you sure?” Jisoo says, a bit doubtfully. She _knows_ Taehyun isn’t feeling well, but for some reason, Taehyun won’t tell her what’s wrong. “You can tell me anything, Taehyun.”

Again, the brunette takes a bit of time to respond. “I-I’m sure, noona. I’m just tired from our long day. You should go to sleep.”

“Okay…” Jisoo says slowly. She doesn't sound entirely convinced, but for now, she doesn’t want to bother Taehyun. He should get some sleep, after all. “Well, get some rest, Tae. Goodnight.”

“G-goodnight, noona,” he returns.

Jisoo stays in her spot for five seconds before she decides to walk away. Taehyun isn’t going to tell her how he feels just like that, especially since they barely know each other. Taehyun probably doesn’t even trust her, because she’s rich, and he’s a slave. That’s how mostly all slaves feel, anyway. Jisoo just hopes she can change that soon because she is so not like that.

As she walks down the stairs to talk with her husband, something hits Jisoo. She left Beomgyu and Taehyun alone so that she could bathe the twins. Something probably happened between the two—Beomgyu probably said some rude stuff, which hurt Taehyun, and maybe that’s why he didn’t tell Jisoo anything. He didn’t want to rat out Beomgyu to Jisoo for reasons she doesn’t know. Nevertheless, Jisoo is still going to have to talk with Beomgyu about his behavior. Again.

“Beomgyu,” she calls out as she arrives at the bottom of the stairs.

Beomgyu doesn’t look up from his computer, but he acknowledges Jisoo. “Yes, dear?”

“Can we talk?” she says as she sits down next to Beomgyu. Although she asked, Jisoo still wouldn’t have taken no as an answer.

Beomgyu sighs, knowing something is going on in Jisoo’s head that’s probably his fault. But he knows his wife, and how strict and scary she can be, so he places his laptop down on the coffee table, before facing her. “What do you need to talk about, babe?”

Jisoo knows Beomgyu is trying to coax her, especially since he called her ‘babe.’ He usually calls her ‘dear’, but only calls her ‘babe’ when he’s trying to be sweet, or get out of situations like these. But it won’t happen this time. 

“Were you being mean to Taehyun?” Jisoo demands.

“No,” Beomgyu lies. “Why would you ask that?”

“I heard him crying in the shower,” Jisoo says, which immediately makes Beomgyu feel guilty. He didn’t mean any of the words he said, but of course, he had to open his big mouth.

“H-how do you know he was crying for real?” he says pointedly.

“I know when people are crying, Beomgyu,” Jisoo says. “Did you make him cry?”

Beomgyu knows if he tells the truth, Jisoo is going to be mad at him. But if he lies, and she finds out he is, she’ll still get mad at him. So, either way, Jisoo’s going to end up mad. But it doesn’t have to be now, does it?

“No, I did not.”

“You sure?” Jisoo says. “If I ask him, and he says it was you, what do I do to you?”

“Um…nothing?”

_“Beomgyu.”_

“I promise I didn’t do anything to Taehyun,” he lies. Beomgyu lets out a small pout, and he wraps his arms around Jisoo’s waist, pulling her closer. “You trust me, don’t you, babe?”

Jisoo rolls her eyes, but there’s a smile on her face. “You know, you can’t use that same excuse every time.”

“And yet, you still let me get away from things,” Beomgyu says smugly. He smiles at Jisoo before he leans down toward her neck. He starts placing small kisses on it, and she lets him, wrapping her arms around her neck to pull him closer. The situation would’ve escalated into something more heated, and they would’ve made baby number three if Beomgyu’s phone suddenly didn’t start ringing. “God damn it.”

“W-who is it?” Jisoo asks, slightly panting.

Beomgyu doesn’t respond until he grabs his phone. “Soobin-hyung.”

Jisoo is just as surprised as Beomgyu. “Really?”

“Yeah,” he mutters. “Last time we talked was ten months ago. I wonder what he wants now.”

“Answer,” Jisoo says.

Beomgyu’s a bit hesitant, but he does as Jisoo says, and answers the call. “Hello?”

“Hi, Beom.” Surprisingly, it isn’t Soobin’s voice that responds. It’s his slave (rather husband, and mother of his child) Choi Yeonjun. 

“Oh, hi, hyung,” Beomgyu greets. “What are you doing calling from Soobin-hyung’s phone?”

“Can’t I call from my husband’s phone?” Yeonjun says.

“Well, I guess, but it’s a surprise that any of you called at us at all,” Beomgyu says. “What’s up?”

“Are you and Jisoo-noona free tomorrow?” Yeonjun asks.

“Um, hold on a sec.” Beomgyu grabs his laptop and checks his calendar. Normally, he’d let his assistant do this, but she isn’t here right now. Thankfully (or not) Beomgyu’s schedule is free tomorrow, so he turns to Jisoo. “Is your schedule free tomorrow, dear?”

“Uh, I think so,” she replies. “Why?”

“Hyung’s asking,” Beomgyu explains, before he goes back to his and Yeonjun’s call. “We’re both free tomorrow.”

“Good,” he says. 

“Why do you ask, hyung?”

“We want to come over tomorrow,” Yeonjun finally says. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu assures, a bit surprised. “But why?”

“We haven’t seen each other in a while,” Yeonjun reminds. 

(which is true, since someone spread a rumor that yeonjun and beomgyu were cheating on their significant other with each other, which of course was false, but the four decided it would be better if they stopped talking and hanging out.)

“Is Soobin-hyung going to be okay with this?” Beomgyu asks. “Last time he was pretty mad.”

“He was just mad because of work,” Yeonjun assures. “So, tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu agrees. “What time?”

“How about around eleven?” Yeonjun suggests. “We can have brunch.”

“Sounds good,” Beomgyu says. “See you tomorrow, then, hyung.”

“See you.”

Beomgyu pulls his phone away from his ear, seeing that Yeonjun has already ended the call. Beomgyu lets out a sigh and places his phone down.

“What did Yeonjun say?” Jisoo questions.

Beomgyu is a bit startled. He had forgotten Jisoo is still here. “Uh, he just asked if he and Soobin-hyung can come over tomorrow.”

Jisoo nods. “You said yeah, right?”

“Of course,” Beomgyu says. “It’d be nice for their daughter to play with the twins, and to see them again.”

“It would,” Jisoo says. “What time are they coming tomorrow?”

“Eleven,” Beomgyu replies. “They want to have brunch.”

“That means we have to have the house clean by then,” Jisoo mutters. “I’m sure we can get that done. Oh, and by the way, Beomgyu?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t lock away the slaves and workers like you did last time,” Jisoo warns. “They don’t deserve to be locked away.”

Every time guests come over, Beomgyu always makes their workers and Jared (maybe taehyun now as well) hide. He doesn’t want them to interrupt, or have his guests get distracted by them. He’s mean to them and doesn’t even give them food or anything to drink whilst they’re locked away. It’s cruel, but that’s just how Beomgyu is.

“I-I don’t do that,” he scoffs.

“I know you do, Beomgyu,” Jisoo says sternly. She looks away from Beomgyu to look at the time; eleven-fifty p.m. “We should also go to sleep now.”

“You can go,” he says. “I still have a shit ton of work to do.”

“You can do that tomorrow,” Jisoo says, a bit whiny.

“Dear, you know I can’t,” Beomgyu says pointedly.

Jisoo sighs. “Fine. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Beomgyu returns as he pecks Jisoo’s lips. “I’ll be up soon.”

Jisoo nods, not really believing Beomgyu as she gets up. As she walks away, Beomgyu puts his laptop on his lap again and continues working. Whilst he works, he also tries to find out a way on how he can lock away the workers and slaves without Jisoo finding out.

\--

The next morning, Taehyun isn’t surprised when he wakes up first than everyone else. But he is surprised when he sees Jisooo downstairs, drinking a cup of coffee, her raven hair up in a messy bun, glasses on her face, and a laptop in front of her as she types on it. She looks real focused, so Taehyun feels bad about interrupting her, but she’s going to notice him sooner or later.

“Morning, noona,” he greets.

Jisoo jumps, and she holds back a scream. “God, Taehyun, you scared me.”

“Sorry,” he apologizes. “What are you doing?”

“Working,” Jisoo replies. “What are you doing up?”

“I’m used to waking up early,” Taehyun reminds. “Why don’t you work later?”

Jisoo shakes her head. “I can’t. We’re going to have guests over today, and I’ll be too busy to work after.”

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen. “W-we’re going to have guests over today?”

Jisoo nods. “Yeah. You didn’t know?”

Taehyun shakes his head. “No.”

“Oh, well, we are,” Jisoo says.

“Can I ask who?”

“Choi Soobin, his husband Choi Yeonjun, and their daughter Choi Byeol,” Jisoo explains. “They’re pretty fun and _extremely_ nice people. You’ll like them immediately.”

Taehyun nods, a small smile growing on his face. “How old are they?”

“Soobin is twenty-eight, Yeonjun is twenty-nine, and Byeol is five,” Jisoo answers. “She’s the same age as the twins.”

“That’s nice,” Taehyun comments. “What time are they coming over?”

“Eleven,” Jisoo says. “So we kinda have to have the house clean by then. Do you think we can do that?”

“Yeah,” Taehyun assures. “It’s five right now. We have six hours to go.”

“You want to start right now?” Jisoo asks, a bit surprised.

Taehyun shrugs. “I don’t really mind. Do _you_ want to start right now?”

Jisoo looks between Taehyun and her work, deciding whether to clean the house or work is a better option. Finally, she decides the former. “Let’s get started, then.”

\--

Two hours later, with the help of Jared and another worker, Jisoo and Taehyun finish cleaning the mansion. They don’t clean every single room, since that’d take the whole day to finish, but they clean the rooms where guests usually go. For example, the bathroom, kitchen, living room, and dining room. The upstairs is not clean, as well as the other rooms, but Soobin, Yeonjun, and their daughter surely won’t care.

(hopefully.)

“Whoo, thanks for all your help, guys,” Jisoo tells Jared and the other worker, wiping a bead of sweat off her forehead. “Couldn’t do it without you guys.”

Jared nods. “Um, Mrs. Jisoo, may I ask you something?”

“Sure, go ahead,” she allows.

“Where will we be locked away this time?” Jared asks.

At Jared’s question, Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen. The slaves have to _hide_ whilst guests are here? That’s messed up. But, knowing Jisoo, it’s probably not her idea to lock away the slaves. It’s probably Beomgyu’s. 

Yeah, that makes much more sense.

“You guys won’t be hiding anywhere,” Jisoo assures. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“Last time you said that, and we still ended up locked up,” the other worker reminds.

“Well, I wasn’t here that day, and I’m sorry,” Jisoo says. “If Beomgyu locks you guys up, just knock on the door real hard, okay? I’ll come to rescue you guys, and I’ll make sure Beomgyu won’t ever do that again.”

Jared and the other worker just look at each other, before they eventually nod. They then walk away, leaving Jisoo and Taehyun alone.

“Noona…does master really do that?” he quietly asks.

“Do what?”

“Lock away the slaves?”

Jisoo sighs. “He does, but don’t worry about it this time, Tae. I’ll be here, and I’ll make sure he won’t do so.” Taehyun just slowly nods in response, not knowing whether to believe Jisoo or not. The male masters usually have more power over the slaves than the females do, so if the authority ever comes by, and finds out what Beomgyu did to the slaves, they wouldn’t care. But if Jisoo did it, they’d leave her with a warning, but if she does it again, she gets in trouble. No one knows what the punishment is, but some say it’s scary, which shows how sad males have ‘dominated’ the world and society. “You hungry?” she asks to change the subject. “We’re going to have a brunch with the guests, but it won’t hurt to have a snack.”

“I’m fine, noona,” Taehyun lies. “Can I change out of my rags, or do I need to stay in them?”

“It’s better if you stay in them,” Jisoo replies. “The Chois don’t really have a problem with slaves wearing normal clothes, but we crashed into some bumpy roads with each other, so I don’t know if they would rat us out about letting you wear normal clothes.”

Taehyun nods. “Well, I’m going to be up in my room. Unless you need anything…?”

“I’m fine, Taehyun,” Jisoo assures. “If you’re tired, get some rest.”

Taehyun nods, and he smiles and bows at Jisoo, before walking away to head toward the stairs. As he walks them up and starts walking toward his room, he suddenly hears a door open, and Beomgyu, clad in a white long-sleeved button-up tucked into slight faded blue jeans, a black belt tied around his waist, and a black wristwatch on his wrist, steps out of his and Jisoo’s room. He looks all nice and dressed up, which makes Taehyun’s breath hitch. He looks like a bag of trash compared to Beomgyu. He just hopes the older man won’t notice him. Maybe if he walks faster Beomgyu won’t-

“Hey, slave.”

Taehyun curses under his breath. He stops walking to look at Beomgyu. “Y-yes, master?”

“Gather all the slaves and workers in the game room,” he orders.

“M-may I ask why, master?”

“No,” Beomgyu harshly snaps. “Now go do what I told you to do.”

Taehyun nods, and he bows to Beomgyu before he quickly walks back downstairs. He’s starting to get used to Beomgyu’s coldness, but that doesn’t mean the pain goes away. He soon arrives where the other workers and slaves are. “U-um, guys?”

Jared turns toward Taehyun first. “Yeah?”

“Um, we need to meet Master Beomgyu in the game room,” he informs.

“God damn it,” Taehyun hears Jared curse under his breath.

“I-is that a bad thing?” Although he asked, Taehyun knows it _is_ a bad thing, because, after all, it is Beomgyu they are talking about.

“Yeah,” Jared sighs. “Come on, let’s go, guys.”

All the workers and slaves except Taehyun sigh as they get up. Taehyun follows behind Jared toward the game room, since he doesn’t know where it is, even though Jisoo has shown it to him before, and they soon arrive a few seconds later. Beomgyu is already there, his arms crossed over his chest. Once he sees that the others have arrived, he orders one of them to close the door.

“Why did you call us here, Mr. Choi?” someone asks.

“As some of you probably know,” Beomgyu begins, “we’re going to have guests over. They’re long time friends, sort of, but I don’t want you guys near them. Whilst they’re here, you guys will hide in the storage closet, and won’t come out until I tell you to.”

“B-but-”

“Did I say you could talk?” Beomgyu harshly snaps, glaring at the worker who dared interrupt him. The worker shakes her head instead of replying verbally. Beomgyu rolls his eyes, and continues speaking: “Does everyone understand?”

All the workers and slaves nod, except Taehyun. He stares at his companions in shock, wondering why they don’t talk back to Beomgyu. Jisoo said they wouldn’t be locked away this time, so they _shouldn’t_ be locked away. It seems as if Beomgyu noticed Taehyun is the only one who didn’t shake their head, so he raises an eyebrow at him. “Did you _understand, Taehyun?”_

“No I didn’t, actually,” he replies. 

“And why not?” Beomgyu demands.

“Because we have the right to not be locked away,” Taehyun says firmly, which is a lie. Technically, they don’t have a right to do anything but listen to whatever their masters say.

(except if it’s something sexual without consent.)

“Jisoo-noona also said we shouldn’t be locked away, and you can’t do anything about that.”

“Well, too fucking bad,” Beomgyu says. He walks toward Taehyun until their faces are barely an inch apart. “These are _my_ orders, and Jisoo is my wife, so she has to agree with me one way or another. Now, do you _understand_ , slave?”

“Say yes, Taehyun,” he hears someone whisper. “It’ll go bad for you if you don’t.”

Taehyun doesn’t care. He wants to say that he doesn’t, say Beomgyu can suck his dick for all he cares. However, he doesn’t want to be thrown away from this family, especially since Jisoo is so kind. No one else is kind like her, but Beomgyu just makes living here harder. 

“Y-yes,” Taehyun finally says. “I understand, master. I’m sorry.”

“Good,” Beomgyu huffs. He steps away from Taehyun, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves. “Go now, before the guests arrive. And you guys better not to do anything that will give you away, or there will be consequences.”

“Yes, Mr. Choi,” the others reply. Taehyun mouths it.

Beomgyu shoots them a disapproving look before he leaves the room. The workers and slaves sigh, and they walk out of the room. Taehyun has no other choice but to follow behind them. He just hopes Jisoo will find out Beomgyu did lock them up and get him in trouble.

\--

“Mommy, who’s coming over?” Yoonah asks as Jisoo ties her hair up in a ponytail.

“Soobin and Yeonjun Oppa with Byeol,” Jisoo replies. “You guys like them, right?”

Yeona eagerly nods, her hair already in a half ponytail. “Soobin-Oppa bought me ice cream last time! He was very nice.”

“He was,” Jisoo agrees. “Are you two ready?”

Yoonah and Yeona nod, so Jisoo smiles, and grabs their hands as they walk out of the twins’ room. Yoonah is dressed in a shirt and shorts, whilst Yeona is dressed in the same thing, but with pants instead. Jisoo is dressed in a gray plaid dress on top of a white shirt, her raven hair wavy. It’s currently 10:55 in the morning, so only five more minutes or so until the Chois arrive.

“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Yoonah whines as they arrive in the living room.

“We’re going to be eating soon, angel,” Jisoo assures. “For now we’re going to wait for the Chois to arrive. Have you two seen your daddy?”

“I think he went to the game room,” Yeona answers.

Jisoo’s eyebrows slightly knit together in confusion. “Why would he go there?”

Yoonah shrugs. “Daddy’s weird.”

“He sure is,” Jisoo mutters. “Whatever. We’ll wait for him here.”

The twins nod, and a few seconds later, Beomgyu walks into the room. He’s already dressed, obviously, and he notices his wife and daughters in the living room.

“Hi, everyone,” he greets.

“Daddy!” the twins squeal as they get up from their seats to go greet their dad. For the first time in forever, Beomgyu finally stays home in the morning from work.

“Hi, girls,” he says with a smile, picking them up.

“Daddy, I’m hungry,” Yeona complains with a pout.

“We’ll eat soon, Yeo,” Beomgyu says. “Can you wait a few minutes?”

Yeona nods, and Beomgyu sets them both down on the couch. Just as Beomgyu is about to sit up, they hear the doorbell ring, and the twins start squealing as they get down from the couch. 

“Twins, don’t open the door without your father,” Jisoo warns.

“Daddy, hurry up!” the twins order.

“Geez, so impatient,” Beomgyu mutters under his breath.

“Wonder where they get it from,” Jisoo mumbles, making Beomgyu roll his eyes playfully at her.

Beomgyu walks toward the door with the twins and opens it. On the other side, he sees a tall brown-haired male wearing a black shirt underneath a checkered short-sleeved button-up, most of the buttons unbuttoned, tucked into black jeans. The male next to him has blue hair and is wearing a white shirt tucked into blue faded jeans, a black belt tied around his waist, a black leather jacket, and light brown ankle boots. The little girl in the brunette’s arms has raven hair and wears a purple jumpsuit. Beomgyu smiles as he recognizes the other three as Soobin, Yeonjun, and Byeol.

“Hi, Beom,” Soobin greets. 

“Hyungs, nice to see you again,” Beomgyu says. He lets the twins greet Byeol as he shakes hands with Soobin, and hugs Yeonjun. “Come in.”

“Thank you,” he says, stepping in first.

“Noona, wow, it’s nice to see you again,” Soobin says as he notices Jisoo. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been good, thanks for asking,” she replies as she gets up to go greet them. “How about you guys?”

“We’ve been good as well,” Soobin says. “Thanks.”

Jisoo smiles, and she hugs Soobin, before hugging Yeonjun. She greets their little girl, but Byeol only hides her face in Soobin’s neck in shyness. Jisoo giggles at her cuteness, before inviting them all into the dining room.

“So, how has life been going on for you all?” Beomgyu asks as Jisoo and Yeonjun go to the kitchen.

“It’s been good,” Soobin answers. “You?”

Before Beomgyu can answer, Jisoo steps back into the dining room, a confused look on her face. “Beomgyu, where are the workers?”

“They’re out on an errand,” he lies. 

“Taehyun went, too?” Jisoo questions.

“Uh, I think he stayed,” Beomgyu answers. He doesn’t know why he said Taehyun is still here, especially since Jisoo might found out Beomgyu locked away the workers through Taehyun, but for now, Beomgyu just wants to see the brunette’s pretty face again. “Want me to go get him for you?”

“Yes, please,” Jisoo says. “Soobin, Yeonjun, would you two like anything to drink?”

Whilst Beomgyu leaves the other six to talk, he walks toward the storage closet to get Taehyun. Beomgyu soon arrives a minute later, and he opens the door. He sees the workers and slaves all squeezed up in the small closet space, but his eyes search for Taehyun.

“Taehyun, where are you?” For the second time, Beomgyu has called Taehyun by his real name.

“I-I’m right here, master,” he replies.

“You’re coming with me,” Beomgyu says. “Now.” Taehyun knows better than to ask questions, so he squeezes through a few of the workers to get out of the closet. He closes the door behind him and slightly jogs to keep up with Beomgyu. “If Jisoo asks where you were, you better not tell her the truth, slave. Understand?”

Again, Taehyun wants to ask questions, but he keeps his mouth shut. “Y-yes, master.”

“Good,” Beomgyu huffs. “We have the guests over, and you’re going to be nice, and get them whatever they want, okay? Even if you don’t want to. Well, unless it’s sexual, but I doubt it will be.”

“I-I understand, master,” Taehyun says, wondering why he’s stuttering so much.

Beomgyu doesn’t say anything after that, and they soon arrive back where the others are. Yoonah and Yeona are the first to notice Taehyun, and their eyes light up when they do.

“Taehyun-ah!” they both squeal as they immediately run to hug his legs.

“Hi, girls,” he greets, smiling down at them.

“I’m glad you could make it, Taehyun,” Jisoo says, making him look up at her. “What were you doing?”

Taehyun can feel Beomgyu’s gaze burning into his skin, so he knows better than to tell the truth. “Oh, I was just in…the game room looking around.”

“Oh, okay,” Jisoo says. “Anyway, Tae, these are…Beom’s and my friends: Choi Soobin and Choi Yeonjun. This precious little girl is their daughter Choi Byeol.”

“H-hi,” Taehyun says, starting to grow anxious at the sight of new people. He never really did like it when his old owners had guests over. They always made him uncomfortable.

“Hi,” Yeonjun returns. “I’m Yeonjun. It’s nice to finally meet you, Taehyun.”

“L-likewise,” he says with a small smile.

“I’m Soobin,” he says. “It’s also nice to meet you, Taehyun.”

The brunette nods in agreement, too shy to say anything else. He looks at Jisoo, about to say something to her when he hears: “Wow. You’re pretty.”

Looking down, Taehyun sees a little girl who half looks like Soobin, and half looks like Yeonjun. This must be Byeol. “Oh, um, thanks. You’re pretty, too.”

“Byeol, don’t be rude,” Yeonjun quietly scolds. “Introduce yourself, and say hi.”

“Oh, sorry,” Byeol apologizes, smiling sheepishly. “I’m Byeol, I’m five years old, and I’m besties with Yoonah and Yeona!”

“Hi, Byeol,” Taehyun says. “I’m Taehyun.”

“Taehyun-ah, do you want to play dolls with Yeo, Byeol, and I?” Yoonah offers.

“I’m sorry, girls, but I have work to do,” Taehyun says apologetically. “Maybe later, okay?”

“Okay!” Surprisingly, the girls are okay with it, skipping out of the room to play with their dolls and each other.

“I’m sorry about Byeol,” Soobin chuckles. “She can be forgetful about her manners sometimes.”

“It’s fine,” Taehyun assures. “She’s very cute.”

Yeonjun smiles proudly. “Thank you. Do you have any kids of your own, Taehyun?”

“Ah, I wish,” he replies. “I’m still seventeen, anyway.”

Soobin’s eyes slightly widen. “Wow, really? You look as if you’re eighteen or nineteen.”

“I get that a lot,” Taehyun says. “Noona, is there anything you want me to do?”

“Yes, actually,” Jisoo replies. “If you don’t mind, can you come help me make the food? We forgot to do it earlier.”

“Do you guys need any help?” Yeonjun offers, starting to stand up.

“No, Yeonjun, sit back down,” Jisoo giggles. “We got this. Don’t worry.”

“Aw, I want to help, though,” Yeonjun frowns. “I’d feel bad if I don’t.”

“Yeonjun-”

“Just let him, noona,” Soobin interrupts. “Jun is known to be very stubborn.”

“And you’re not?” Yeonjun grumbles as he stands up from his chair.

“No.”

Yeonjun rolls his eyes. “Whatever you say, Bin.”

Jisoo, Yeonjun, and Taehyun then walk into the kitchen to start making the food. Although they’d be faster if they had more people helping them, they can finish this on their own. Whilst the three work, Taehyun gets to know Yeonjun better, and Jisoo and Yeonjun kind of build their old bond back. Fortunately, they finish cooking and preparing the food twenty minutes later, and Soobin and Beomgyu help them bring the food to the dining room.

“Wow, this all looks delicious,” Beomgyu comments.

“Thanks, Beom,” Jisoo says. “But Yeonjun and I can’t take all the credit. Tae made most of the food.”

Beomgyu is a bit surprised at that, and he glances at Taehyun. “Really?”

The brunette shyly nods. “I-I kinda picked up the habit of cooking by myself when I was thirteen, and mastered it by the time I was fifteen.”

“That’s so cool,” Soobin says. “I wish I could cook.”

“Well, that’s your fault for not paying attention when I try to teach you,” Yeonjun huffs.

“I don’t want to learn from someone who dropped the food once and still gave it to me,” Soobin shoots back.

“You guys really _do_ fight like an old married couple,” Taehyun mutters.

“Well, we are married,” Yeonjun reminds before he goes to the kitchen to the utensils.

“Can I ask you something, Soobin?” Taehyun asks.

“You already are, but sure,” Soobin replies.

“How long have you and Yeonjun been married?” Taehyun says.

“Um…” Soobin stops to think about it for a sec, which sort of surprises Taehyun. “Around….four years, I think. We were together for four years before I decided to pop the question. Which is funny, because he decided to pop the question at the same time.”

“Aw, that’s cute,” Taehyun softly coos. “How did you two fall in love?”

“I was his slave,” Yeonjun replies, walking back inside the dining room. “Well, his _family’s_ slave. His dad bought me when I was fourteen, and he was barely thirteen.”

“So, you two got together when you were thirteen and fourteen?” Taehyun asks.

Soobin shakes his head. “We got together when I was seventeen, and he was eighteen. We didn’t even realize we were in love with each other until then.”

“Before was plain torture,” Beomgyu speaks up, shaking his head.

“You're one to talk, Beom,” Yeonjun says. “You were the same way with Jisoo.”

“Hey, why bring me into this?” she frowns. “At least I had the balls to confess.”

“Haha, pussy,” Soobin laughs, sticking his tongue out at Beomgyu.

“Shut up, hyung,” he grumbles as he hits Soobin with his spoon.

“Yah, did you just hit me?!”

“Yeah! What are you going to do about it?!”

“Oh, I’ll show you-”

“Guys, stop,” Yeonjun says, before Jisoo copies what he says right after.

“He started it,” Soobin mutters with a small pout.

“No, _you_ did.”

“Can you believe we’re married to such babies?” Jisoo tells Yeonjun in disbelief.

“No, I can’t,” he sighs, shaking his head.

“You guys are rude,” Soobin and Beomgyu pout in unison, crossing their arms.

Taehyun internally coos at the sight of Beomgyu’s pout, finding it cute. But he quickly shakes the thought out of his head, because what the hell is he thinking? He shouldn’t be thinking like this about a _married_ man, let alone a _father_ to _two girls_. Taehyun sighs, and places a plate next to Beomgyu, ignoring his gaze.

“Is that everything?” Jisoo asks as she silently counts the plates and food.

“Yeah,” Yeonjun assures.

“Okay,” Jisoo says. “Tae, can you go call the girls, and tell them the food’s ready?”

Taehyun nods, and he quickly goes to do what he’s told, purposely ignoring Beomgyu’s piercing gaze on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don’t worry, kai will appear soon :)


	6. Alone

Taehyun walks toward the living room, knowing that the girls are in there since he can hear their laughs and chatter. When he arrives, he sees the three holding hands as they sit in a circle, Byeol seeming to tell the other two a story. If the girls were older, Taehyun would’ve thought they were doing a summoning ritual, but they’re not, since they’re too young to even know what that is.

Hopefully.

“Girls,” Taehyun calls out, “food’s ready.”

The twins’ eyes are immediately on him, and they smile brightly at him. “Taehyun-ah!”

“What’s for breakfast, Oppa?” Byeol asks as she lets go of the twins’ hands.

“Um, toast, pancakes, and other stuff like that,” Taehyun replies. “You guys ready to eat?”

“I was _born_ ready to eat!” Yoonah says excitedly before she dashes into the kitchen.

“Wait for me!” Yeona and Byeol call out behind her, starting to run.

“Girls, don’t run!” Taehyun says but does nothing else to stop them because he’d do the same thing.

“Girls, why were you running?” Jisoo demands sternly, but Taehyun knows she’s joking.

“‘Cause, we’re excited to eat!” Yeona answers, squealing as she sits down on the left side of her father. “Daddy, why did you start to eat without me? That’s rude.”

“Oops, I’m sorry, Yeo,” Beomgyu apologizes. “How about I make it up to you with pancakes?”

The pout disappears from Yeona’s face. “Deal!”

Taehyun lets out a small smile at the sight and notices that everyone is already sitting down. He sort of just stands awkwardly there, not knowing whether the others, especially Soobin, Yeonjun, and Byeol, will be okay with him eating breakfast with them at the same time.

“What are you doing, Tae?” Jisoo’s voice breaks him out of his thoughts. 

Taehyun looks at her, still digesting what she’s saying. “H-huh?”

“Are you going to sit down?” she asks.

“O-oh, right.” Taehyun feels his face heat up, but he ignores it. Then there’s another thing he notices: the only empty seat is next to Beomgyu. Everyone else is occupying the other seats, even the girls, who usually sit on their parents’ lap. Nevertheless, Taehyun takes a deep breath, and he hesitantly sits down next to Beomgyu. He subtly scoots his chair further away from the older, but not too much to make it obvious.

The eight start talking, and Taehyun slightly gets up from his seat to serve himself some food. He feels someone’s gaze piercing on him, but he ignores it, thinking it is just his imagination. He sits back down next to Beomgyu and even laughs at a few things the older says. Surprisingly, Beomgyu doesn’t mind that Taehyun laughs at his jokes. He even smiles at the sight of Taehyun’s beautiful smile, making a dimple appear on his right cheek.

They don’t finish eating and talking until two hours later, which is around one p.m. Since none of them have to go to work today they spend the rest of their time in the living room. They let the girls play by themselves, and Taehyun even forgets about the slaves and workers back in the storage closet. He’s mostly too focused on the conversation he and the others are having, but more on the way Beomgyu’s lips move, his smile, his laugh, and his casual—but _extremely hot_ —Daegu satoori that slips out here and then. 

“You can do magic?!” Jisoo, Soobin, Yeonjun, and even Beomgyu exclaim in unison as they stare at Taehyun in shock.

“Um, yeah…?” he says, sort of shyly. Taehyun accidentally let it out when Jisoo was talking about one of her friends knowing how to do magic, and now he has everyone staring at him as if he has two heads. 

“Wow,” she says. “H-how did you learn?”

“The daughter of one of my old masters taught me,” Taehyun explains. “She dreamt of becoming a magician someday, and wanted to show at least someone some of her tricks.”

“That’s so cool,” Soobin mutters. “Can you show us a trick?”

“Um, sure,” Taehyun replies. “Noona, do you have a deck of cards?”

Jisoo nods, getting up. “Yeah.” She walks toward one of the drawers in the living room, and opens it, getting out a stack of cards. She hands it to Taehyun, who thanks her, before sitting back down next to Beomgyu.

Taehyun takes the stack of cards from out of their box, and shuffles through them. He shows the others a few tricks with the cards, which leaves them in shock and amazed. Taehyun turns a light shade of red at the attention he’s getting but doesn’t really mind.

“Can you do anything else?” Yeonjun asks.

“Uh, yeah,” Taehyun answers. “Can any of you be a volunteer?”

“I will,” Beomgyu says, before anyone else can.

Taehyun’s eyes widen, surprised that Beomgyu volunteered, or even did so at all. But Taehyun clears his throat, nodding. “O-okay.” He gets up to walk toward Beomgyu, and crouches down in front of him. “I think you have something behind your ear.”

“I-I do?” he questions. “I don’t feel anything.”

“I-I’m sure you do,” Taehyun mumbles. He reaches behind Beomgyu’s ear, whilst keeping eye contact with Beomgyu. The two stare at each other, and for once, Taehyun isn’t shy enough to look away. He feels himself getting dazed by Beomgyu’s eyes, and the softening look in them. Taehyun subtly starts to lean in, but remembers what he’s doing, and that there are other people in the room. He clears his throat, pulling away as he takes out a quarter from Beomgyu’s ear. “See?”

“That. Is. So. Cool!” Jisoo squeals. “Wow, Tae, I never knew you were so talented.”

Taehyun lets out a small chuckle as he gets up to walk back toward his spot. He looks down at the quarter in his hand, smiling. “I wouldn’t say I’m talented. Just a bit gifted, is all.”

“That’s basically the same thing,” Soobin states. “Do you think you’ll ever become a magician?”

“Maybe,” Taehyun replies. When slaves turn sixty, they stop being slaves. Their body is too old and weak to do anything, and their risk of suddenly dying gets higher. The government doesn’t want their slaves to die, since they can make more, so they made a law to stop slavery at sixty. Taehyun is seventeen right now, so only forty-three more years until he stops being a slave. Finally.

“That’ll be a good job for you,” Yeonjun adds. “You’re better than half of the magicians in the world.”

Taehyun smiles. “Thanks, hyung.”

Yeonjun nods with a bright smile. They hear three pairs of footsteps running inside the living room, and they look up to see Yoonah and Yeona struggling to hold Byeol, the little girl crying as she holds her arm.

Yeonjun is quick to get up, Soobin copying him. “What happened?”

“B-Byeol hurt her arm with something,” Yoonah explains. “Sh-she won’t stop crying.”

Soobin frowns as well, and he goes over toward his daughter, crouching down in front of her. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?”

“I-I hurt my arm, daddy!” she wails, collapsing on him.

Soobin accepts her in his arms. “What did you hurt it with?”

“T-table,” she mutters.

“Sweetie, can I see your arm?” Yeonjun asks.

Byeol lets out a small whimper. “N-no. I-it hurts.”

“I promise I’ll grab it softly,” Yeonjun assures. “Can I?”

Byeol hesitates, before she nods. “O-okay, mommy.”

“Thank you,” Yeonjun says with a smile. He grabs Byeol’s arm as softly as he can, and inspects it. It looks okay, but there’s a sort of bump starting to form on it. He sighs, and looks at Soobin. “I think Byeol sprained or fractured her arm,” he whispers, so Byeol won’t hear.

Soobin nods, and he looks back at Byeol. “Sweetie, I think we’re going to need to go to the hospital.”

“W-why?” she asks.

“Your arm is badly hurt, sweetie,” Yeonjun explains. “A doctor needs to look at it.”

Byeol frowns. She doesn’t want to go to the hospital, but she wants the pain to stop. “O-okay.”

“Do you guys want us to come with you?” Jisoo offers.

“The twins are going to want to go, so yeah,” Soobin replies. 

“Jisoo, can we talk for a sec?” Beomgyu questions as he gets up.

Jisoo looks at Beomgyu, grabbing her bag. “Um, sure.” She turns toward Soobin and Yeonjun. “Can you guys wait for a bit? This won’t take long.” Yeonjun nods, so Jisoo and Beomgyu leave the room. They walk into the kitchen, Beomgyu closing the door behind them. “What do you need to talk about, Beomgyu?”

“Are you okay with going with hyungs, Byeol, and the twins alone?” he says. “I still have a lot of work to catch up on.”

“You know, you’re always having a lot of work to catch up on,” Jisoo says pointedly. “Why don’t you ever finish it?”

“CEOs get a shit ton of paperwork to fill out,” Beomgyu says. “Especially new ones. I’ve been staying late just because I have so much work to do. I promise it won’t last for long, dear.”

Jisoo sighs. “It better. The twins and I miss you a lot.”

“I miss you guys a lot, too,” Beomgyu says. “So, are you okay with going with them alone?”

“Yeah,” Jisoo says. “Are _you_ going to be okay being here with Taehyun alone, though?”

Beomgyu almost chokes on his own saliva at Jisoo’s question. “W-what?”

“Taehyun’s going to stay,” she says. “I need him to do a few things around here, so he’s going to stay. I don’t think he wants to go, anyway, since he barely knows Soobin and Yeonjun.”

“O-oh, uh sure,” Beomgyu mutters. “Why don’t you ask him just in case-”

“Beomgyu,” Jisoo interrupts. “Can I trust you to not be rude to Taehyun?”

“Y-yes,” Beomgyu replies. “I-I promise I won’t be rude to him.”

“You better,” Jisoo says in a warning tone. “I’ll be back.”

Beomgyu nods, and he and Jisoo peck each other’s lips before Jisoo walks out of the kitchen. She nods at Soobin and Yeonjun, and the three say bye to Beomgyu and Taehyun, before they finally leave Beomgyu’s and Jisoo’s mansion. As the door closes behind Soobin, Beomgyu lets out a sigh, feeling dread creep up in him, since he remembers that he and Taehyun are now alone.

“D-do you know what you’re going to do?” Beomgyu asks as he looks at Taehyun.

The brunette surprisingly looks back at him, making Beomgyu want to look away. But he doesn’t. “Y-yeah. Jisoo-noona told me whilst we were making the food.”

Beomgyu nods. “Well, get going, then.”

“Yes, master,” Taehyun mutters, getting up.

Beomgyu and Taehyun don’t spare each other another glance as Taehyun leaves Beomgyu alone in the living room. Beomgyu lets out a shaky breath, wondering why his heart is beating so loudly when he was just around Taehyun. Beomgyu shakes his head, and he walks toward the storage closet to free the rest of the slaves and workers, so they can continue doing their jobs.

“Remember, don’t mention _any_ of this to Jisoo,” he reminds.

“Yes, Mr. Choi,” the others reply in unison.

Beomgyu doesn’t say anything, closing the door of the storage closet. He walks back toward the living room, where the stairs are, when he notices Taehyun already starting to climb them up on the other side. Beomgyu quickly averts his gaze, and starts climbing up the stairs. He and Taehyun are going at the same pace, so, understandably, they arrive at the top at the same time. When they do, Taehyun is surprised to see Beomgyu, but looks at him in the eye, even though he badly wants to look away.

“I-is there anything I can do for you, master?” he asks.

“Um, g-get me a glass of water or coffee,” Beomgyu orders. “Not right now, but later.”

Taehyun nods. “When is ‘later’ specifically, master?”

“Whenever you feel like it, I guess,” Beomgyu answers. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.” Taehyun just nods, so Beomgyu walks away. He hears Taehyun’s footsteps walking away, and lets out the breath of relief he was holding once Taehyun is out of earshot. Beomgyu walks inside his office, and closes the door behind him. He sits down on the rolling chair behind his desk, staring at the family photo of him, Jisoo, and the twins on his desk. In the picture, the twins are barely a month old, but they’re awake. They are both in matching onesies, small, pink knit caps on top of their tiny heads. Beomgyu smiles at the picture, but lets out a groan at himself. He’s thinking about someone else, a _stranger_ , _romantically_ , when he is already married and has two kids. “What is wrong with you, Beomgyu?” he mutters to himself, shaking his head.

Beomgyu frowns, and opens his laptop. He logs in with his password, which is the twins’ birthday. Cliché, I know, but Beomgyu wouldn’t put anything else as his password. Not even Jisoo, her birthday, or their wedding anniversary.

But if it was Taehyun whom Beomgyu was married to…

 _No, what the fuck, get that out of your head_ , he scolds himself. _Taehyun probably hates you for all the mean things you’ve told him, which is okay. Your fault for opening your big mouth._

Beomgyu sighs at himself as he pulls up his work tab. He starts working, and for the next ten minutes, he spends it in silence. He forgets all about Taehyun, and everything else, too focused on working. He isn’t snapped out of his ‘working trance’ until he hears the door knock.

“W-who is it?” he calls out.

“M-me, master.” Speaking of the devil, it’s Taehyun at the door. “M-may I come in?”

“Yes,” Beomgyu replies.

The door to Beomgyu’s office opens, a familiar beautiful brunette walking in. He has a cup of water in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other. He leaves the door open as he walks toward Beomgyu’s desk, stopping only a few inches away from him.

“Where would you like this, master?” Taehyun asks. Beomgyu only looks up at Taehyun, too enhanced by his beauty to respond. Taehyun stares back at him, also too enhanced by Beomgyu’s handsomeness to snap him out of his trance. Ultimately, Taehyun’s hands start to get tired of carrying the cups, so he snaps himself out of his trance. “M-master?”

Beomgyu snaps out of his trance this time, looking at Taehyun in surprise. “Y-yes?”

“W-where would you like to put the water and coffee, master?” he questions again.

“O-on the desk is okay,” Beomgyu mutters.

Taehyun nods, and he places the two cups down. As he does so, Beomgyu can’t help but stare at him again, wondering how in the world can someone be so beautiful. Taehyun doesn’t notice his gaze until he looks back up.

“C-can I get you anything else, master?” he offers.

“Th-that’ll be all for now, slave,” Beomgyu answers. “I’ll call you if I need anything else.”

Taehyun nods. “I’ll be going, then, master.”

Beomgyu nods this time, and Taehyun bows to him, before leaving his office. For once, Beomgyu isn’t rude to Taehyun, which makes the brunette smile. But he wonders why Beomgyu was staring at him so much. Is there something on his face?


	7. Secrets

Beomgyu spends the rest hour working in his office. He occasionally takes sips of his water and coffee and smiles whenever he remembers Taehyun had touched the cups as well. Technically, their hands are indirectly touching. Beomgyu doesn’t remember Jisoo for the rest of the night, either. His mind is only focused on work, coffee, water, and of course Kang Taehyun. 

Beomgyu doesn’t even remember Jisoo _exists_ until his phone starts ringing, her name popping up on the caller ID.

Beomgyu answers the call. “Hello?” 

“Hey, dear,” Jisoo greets. “Are you busy right now?”

“Yeah, but it’s okay,” Beomgyu says, stretching his arms. “I need a break. What’s up?”

“I don’t think the twins and I are going to return home,” Jisoo informs. 

Beomgyu grows a bit concerned at that. “Why not?”

“Byeol’s still at the hospital, and she’s going to stay overnight, since apparently, the doctors found out more things wrong with her,” Jisoo explains. “The twins don’t want to leave their ‘bestie’s’ side, so they want to stay. Bin and Jun already agreed to take care of them.”

“Are they sure?” Beomgyu asks. “We still haven’t recovered our friendship fully, and they’ll be taking care of _three_ kids now.”

“I’m sure they’ll be okay, dear,” Jisoo chuckles.

“Fine,” Beomgyu sighs. “Why are _you_ going to stay?”

“My work called me in,” Jisoo grumbles. “I have tons of meetings, paperwork, and people I have to meet. Are you going to be okay with the twins and I staying out for the night?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu assures. “Just try to not overwork yourself. Hyungs know to call us if anything goes wrong, right?”

“Yeah,” Jisoo replies. “Oh, and, Beomgyu?”

“Yeah?”

“You better behave well with Taehyun and the rest,” Jisoo warns. “I’m going to beat your ass if you don’t, and I’m serious. You know I am.”

“I-I’ll be good, dear,” Beomgyu promises. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“Good,” Jisoo huffs. “Anyway, then, I have to leave now. Love you.”

Beomgyu smiles, but he secretly wishes it was Taehyun telling him those words. “Love you, too.”

Beomgyu pulls his phone away from his ear, and lets out a sigh, putting his phone down. He looks back at his laptop, seeing that he received a new email. He clicks on it and starts replying. As he does so, he remembers his and Jisoo’s conversation, especially about the part where Jisoo and the twins will stay out for the night. That leaves Beomgyu and Taehyun alone.

(well, if you don’t count the rest of the workers who might eavesdrop on them, but for now, it doesn’t matter.)

Beomgyu shakes his head and grabs his cup to take another sip. He tilts the cup, so the liquid can go into his mouth, but nothing goes in. He pulls the cup away and stares at it confused. _It’s_ empty _? I didn’t even drink it that fast._ Beomgyu sighs, realizing he’s going to have to call for Taehyun.

“T- Slave!” Beomgyu calls out. “Slave, come here!”

\--

As Taehyun walks downstairs from Beomgyu’s office, he feels his heart slightly flutter. For once, ever since he moved in here, Beomgyu was nice to him. He even gave him a small smile, which was _so fucking cute_. Taehyun might’ve fallen for Beomgyu more. But of course, he always has to keep reminding himself he can’t be a homewrecker, and how much he’d hurt Jisoo and the twins if he made Beomgyu cheat on Jisoo with him. Taehyun sighs, a frown forming on his face. Jisoo left him a medium-sized list that says what he has to do. Surprisingly, mostly all the things have to do with cleaning. Taehyun wonders why, but he figures he can ask Jisoo about it later.

When he arrives in the kitchen, Taehyun sees a pile of dishes in the sink and pulls the sleeves of his rags up. He starts making the soap water when he hears footsteps entering the kitchen.

_Please don’t let it be Beomgyu, please don’t let it be-_

“Taehyun, right?” Thankfully, it’s Jared, which is also surprising.

Taehyun turns around, looking at Jared. “Y-yeah. Jared, right?”

Jared nods. “Yeah. What are you doing?”

“I was about to wash the dishes,” Taehyun replies. “Why?”

“Just asking,” Jared says. “So…you seem pretty interested in Mr. Choi.”

Taehyun almost cuts himself with the knife he seems to grab first from the pile, looking at Jared in slight fear and shock. “W-what?”

“You heard me,” he says. “I see the way you look at Mr. Choi.”

“W-what are you-”

“Don’t worry, Taehyun,” Jared interrupts. “Your secret safe is with me.”

Taehyun gulps, not knowing whether he should trust Jared or not. “Th-thanks.”

Jared nods. “Of course. Slaves have each other’s back, right?”

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun mutters. “How old are you?”

“Twenty,” Jared answers.

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen. “You’ve been here longer than me.”

Jared nods in agreement. “Yeah, and I need to talk to you about a few things.”

Taehyun slightly tilts his head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, there are a few things you don’t know about the Chois,” Jared says in a lower tone. He walks closer toward Taehyun, stopping until their shoulders are barely brushing. “They have secrets of their own, you know.”

That sentence gets Taehyun’s interest. “What do you mean by that?”

“We’re not actually supposed to talk about this, but Mr. Choi is too busy working, so he won’t catch us,” Jared says. “To start, Jisoo and Beomgyu didn’t really love each other at first.”

Taehyun’s eyes widen, and his mouth slightly drops in shock. “R-really?”

Jared nods. “Both of their parents were forcing them to find someone to marry, and they both knew each other, so they decided to get married. There wasn’t any love between them until they both got drunk one night, had sex, and Jisoo found out she was pregnant a few days later. That’s when they fell in love, and Beomgyu proposed to Jisoo for real. But if you ask me, I don’t think they love each other _that_ much. They love each other, sure, but I think they love their work more.”

“Oh, wow,” Taehyun says, starting to wash the dishes. “So…do you think if Beomgyu cheated on Jisoo, would she get hurt?”

“Obviously, but I don’t it’d hurt her too much,” Jared says.

Taehyun nods. Another reason why he shouldn’t be interested in Beomgyu. “W-why are you even telling me this?”

“I want to make friends,” Jared replies. “I’ve been here for more than two years, and no one here has made friends with me yet. But if you want to, I can leave you alone.”

“N-no, it’s okay,” Taehyun quickly assures. “We can be friends.”

A bright smile spreads across Jared’s face. “Okay. Well, anyway, I have some more tea to spill…”

For the next hour, Jared and Taehyun spend it together talking and getting to know each other. Well, it was mostly Jared spilling the tea about Beomgyu, Jisoo, and the twins to Taehyun, but they did learn a few stuff from each other. Taehyun is surprised at all the things Jared tells him, but tries not to act like it, because what if it’s fake? Jared might just be trying to get him disowned, so he can be Jisoo’s favorite, and in a future affair with Beomgyu.

Both Jared and Taehyun are now upstairs, cleaning one of the guest bedrooms. Jared is telling Taehyun the story of when Jisoo fought a woman in the store just because she told her she didn’t like her shoes. Taehyun is listening closely, giggling when Jared says something funny. That is until Taehyun hears his name—well, not really his _real_ name, but whatever—being called from five doors down to where he and Jared are at.

“I think Mr. Choi is calling you,” he says, adjusting a pillow on the bed, even though Taehyun had already done it.

“Yeah, I know,” he sighs. “Wish me luck.”

Jared nods, and Taehyun walks out of the guest bedroom. He walks toward Beomgyu’s office, and once he arrives, he knocks on the door.

“Come in,” Beomgyu allows.

Taehyun opens the door, and steps inside Beomgyu’s office. Taehyun looks at Beomgyu. “You called for me, master?”

“Yes,” he replies. “Get me coffee, slave. Same like I told you last time.”

Thankfully, Taehyun remembers, but only because he always complains to himself who the fuck would just want six grams of sugar in their coffee? Apparently, Choi Beomgyu would, but…maybe he’s just unique like that. He’s unique in Taehyun’s eyes. Everything about Beomgyu is: his perfect silver hair, his eyes, his nose, his lips, his jawline, his neck, his collarbone, even his hands are perfect. If only they were wrapped around Taehyun’s neck as-

“Are you listening to me, slave?”

Taehyun snaps out of his trance, feeling his cheeks heat up. He looks up, seeing that Beomgyu is looking at him with a slight cold look in his eyes. “I-I’m sorry, master, what were you saying?”

Beomgyu rolls his eyes. “Just get me the coffee. And hurry up.”

“Yes, master. Sorry again.” Taehyun bows to Beomgyu, before leaving the older’s office. Taehyun walks downstairs, his mind only focused on making Beomgyu’s coffee. He quickly makes it and is extra careful with the sugar. Fortunately, he places exactly six grams of sugar in the coffee—he’s getting better at this, kudos for him for that—and sighs in relief. He walks back upstairs and knocks on the door of Beomgyu’s office.

“Come in,” he allows.

Taehyun opens the door, and he steps inside Beomgyu’s office. “I have your coffee, master.”

“Finally you make it fast,” he mutters under his breath as he grabs the cup from Taehyun.

The brown-haired male hears it, though, which makes him bite down on his tongue. “A-anything else I can get for you, master?”

“That’ll be all,” Beomgyu replies.

Taehyun nods. “Can I be excused now, master?” Beomgyu nods this time, not sparing Taehyun a glance. Taehyun bows to Beomgyu, before turning back around. He’s about to leave the office when he hears Beomgyu calling him back. “Yes, master?” Beomgyu just stares at Taehyun for a few seconds, not saying anything. Taehyun starts to grow a bit uncomfortable, but he can feel his face start to turn red. “M-master?”

“Thank you,” Beomgyu finally says. “For…the coffee.”

Taehyun stares at Beomgyu in shock, surprised that Beomgyu even _thanked_ him. Taehyun snaps out of his trance, and he nods with a small smile. “Of course, master.”

Beomgyu nods, and he turns back toward his MacBook. Taehyun smiles to himself and finally walks out of Beomgyu’s office, softly closing the door behind him. Even the words ‘thank you’ coming out of Beomgyu’s mouth sounds like heaven. Taehyun can’t stop smiling on the way back to the guest bedroom, but when he arrives, he’s surprised that Jared isn’t there anymore.

“Jared?” Taehyun calls out.

Taehyun doesn’t receive a response, so he shrugs, figuring Jared probably got bored and went to sleep already. Speaking of which, it _is_ starting to get late, so where are Jisoo and the twins? Aren’t they supposed to be back by now? Going to the hospital doesn’t take more than a few hours.

(but of course, how would taehyun know? he’s never been there, despite being abused so many times by his old masters.)

Taehyun walks out of the guest bedroom at that thought—he’s already done cleaning it, anyway—and looks in the direction of Beomgyu’s office. Should he ask Beomgyu about it? Maybe he’ll be nice since he thanked Taehyun for bringing him coffee. But then again, maybe not, since his heart is ice cold. Taehyun sighs, and decides to be patient, waiting for Jisoo and the twins to come home.

\--

Around forty minutes later, Taehyun has already taken a shower and dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants he bought with Jisoo and her friends at the mall. Jennie was right—the hoodie and sweats _are_ comfy. Taehyun should’ve bought these sooner if he wasn’t a slave. Taehyun envies rich people for wearing whatever they want. If only slaves had this privilege. Speaking of slaves, Taehyun has already finished the medium-sized list Jisoo left him. He mostly cleaned the rooms guests go to the most, but he also cleaned the guest bedrooms. Are there going to be any more guests? Are Soobin and his family going to stay over? So many questions are running through Taehyun’s head, but he can’t get them answered.

Currently, Taehyun is in the kitchen, making himself a cup of tea. He just wants to rest, lay on his bed, and think about random things whilst drinking his tea. He’s never had the opportunity to do this, but now that he has some free time, why not? Taehyun is bending down, grabbing one of the tea kettles from the cupboard, and once he gets up, he immediately hears footsteps.

-

Beomgyu sighs, rubbing his temples as he tries not to think about the other stack of papers he has to fill out. He places his pen down once his hands start cramping, and it is just in time for his stomach to grumble.

“Sl-” Beomgyu quickly closes his mouth. It's late in the night. Taehyun is probably already sleeping by now. Beomgyu should at least let him sleep since he’s been so rude to him lately.

To that thought, Beomgyu stands up with a sigh and walks out of his office. He walks downstairs to go to the kitchen, wanting to get a snack and more coffee. He walks down the stairs and heads toward the kitchen. But once he arrives at the entrance of the said room, he notices a familiar brunette bending down, showing his beautiful backside, and his nice, small yet plump ass.

_If only he was bending down in front of me with- Beomgyu, cut it out._

“What are you still doing up, slave?” he asks, making Taehyun jump, startled, as he lets out a small yelp.

“A-ah, master, you scared me,” he says, sighing in relief once he sees Beomgyu.

“Answer my question,” he orders, stepping inside the kitchen.

(he of course tries to not look at taehyun’s body.)

“I-I just wanted something to drink, master,” he replies. “What are _you_ doing here?”

“I wanted a snack,” Beomgyu says. “I got hungry.”

“I could’ve gotten it for you, master,” Taehyun says. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Beomgyu opens his mouth, but quickly closes it when he realizes his mouth’s intentions were telling the truth to Taehyun. Beomgyu clears his throat instead and opens the fridge. “You take too long.”

“O-oh,” is the only thing Taehyun is able to say. “I-I’m sorry, master. I’ll walk faster next time.”

Beomgyu just nods to Taehyun, getting out the stack of pancakes in the fridge Taehyun had put in earlier. Obviously, the pancakes were made by Taehyun, which just makes Beomgyu more excited to eat them. When Taehyun realizes what Beomgyu is about to eat, a smile grows on his face, and he tries to hide it by turning around. Beomgyu is probably being nice to Taehyun for the first time in forever, and here Taehyun is, blushing like a schoolgirl as if her crush has just smiled at them.

Speaking of crushes, Taehyun remembers he and Beomgyu are alone now. No slaves, workers, not even Jisoo. 

_Oh, right, Jisoo._

“M-master?” Taehyun hesitantly calls out. He doesn’t know whether Beomgyu would get mad at him for asking a question or not.

Beomgyu looks up from the pancakes to look at Taehyun. “Yes?”

“C-can I ask you something?” he says.

Beomgyu sighs, and he places his fork down. “Sure. What is it, slave?”

“Where are Jisoo-noona and the twins?” Taehyun asks. “They’ve been gone for more than two hours. Does it really take that long to go to the hospital?”

“No, but they’re not returning tonight,” Beomgyu informs. “The twins want to stay with Byeol, and Jisoo is at work.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu says. “Anything else?”

“Um, do you need me to do anything for you, before I go to bed, master?” Taehyun questions.

 _Well, I’d prefer if you’d get in bed_ with _me-_ “Um, no. You can go to bed, slave.”

Taehyun nods, and he bows to Beomgyu. “Goodnight, master.”

“Goodnight, slave,” he surprisingly returns, and he almost coos when he catches sight of Taehyun’s small blush on his cheeks, and small smile hanging on his lips.

Taehyun nods, and he turns around to head toward the stairs. As he heads toward his room, he realizes something: for the first time in forever, he and Beomgyu had a conversation without arguing.

That’s baby steps, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all don't worry abt jared 🤠 he doesn't even appear in later chaps, and he's not relevant in the story, either. idk why i included him


	8. Domestic

The next morning, Taehyun wakes up extra early as usual. The mansion is pin-drop silent, but he’s gotten used to it. He changes out of his comfortable sweats into his usual rags and walks out of his room. Beomgyu’s office is next to his room, thankfully or not, but Taehyun plans to ignore it. However, as he starts walking downstairs, he hears noise coming from Beomgyu’s office and raises an eyebrow. It can’t be moans, because if Jisoo were home, she would’ve been up by now to get stuff ready for something that’s happening later on. 

(is today or tomorrow, though?)

Taehyun quietly walks toward the door of Beomgyu’s office and slightly pushes the door open. His eyes slightly widen when he sees Beomgyu passed out, his face lying on top of his arm on the desk, snoring peacefully. Taehyun quietly knocks on the door to see if Beomgyu is a light sleeper, and fortunately, Beomgyu doesn’t wake up.

Taehyun lets out a quiet sigh of relief, and steps inside the office. He slightly closes the door behind him and walks toward Beomgyu. He smiles at the older’s sleeping face, finding it cute how his eyelashes rest on his cheeks, and how they are slightly puffed out. Taehyun coos to himself, before searching for something more comfortable than his arm that Beomgyu can rest on. Taehyun doesn’t, so he returns to his room to grab a pillow from his bed.

When Taehyun returns to Beomgyu’s office, Beomgyu is still sleeping, so Taehyun steps in. He softly raises Beomgyu’s head and places the pillow underneath it. Fortunately, Taehyun brought a blanket with him, so he wraps it around Beomgyu. But as he does so, the older’s eyes flutter open, and Taehyun freezes in shock—and fear.

“S-slave?” Beomgyu sits up, his groggy, deep morning voice coming out. Curse his Daegu accent.

“H-hi, master,” Taehyun greets nervously.

“W-what are you doing here?” Beomgyu asks.

“I-I was trying to make you more comfortable,” Taehyun explains. “You’d get a sore neck if I let you sleep like that.”

Beomgyu looks at Taehyun surprised. “I was sleeping?”

“Yeah,” he replies. 

“Fuck,” Beomgyu curses. “Why didn’t you wake me up? I still need to finish working.”

Taehyun thinks about Beomgyu’s words. Maybe he _should_ have woken up Beomgyu. After all, the older has been rude to him countless times. But on the other hand, Beomgyu deserves to rest. Taehyun can practically _feel_ his urge of wanting to sleep. Besides, everyone deserves some kindness, whether they’re rude or not.

“You deserve the sleep, master,” Taehyun says. “You were probably up all night.”

“Slave, that is not your decision to make,” Beomgyu says sternly. He shifts in his chair and reaches to grab his MacBook to open it, but Taehyun grabs his wrist. “Slave, what the hell are you doing?”

Taehyun can’t believe he’s doing this, especially since Beomgyu might abuse him or something, but nothing in him is urging him to stop. “S-stop, master. You need to sleep.”

Beomgyu scoffs, and he tries pulling his wrist away from Taehyun’s grip, but Taehyun doesn’t let go. “Let me go, slave.”

“I will if you agree to sleep,” he says.

“You’re not my mom,” Beomgyu frowns, childish of him to say so.

Taehyun almost breaks out into a smile. “So? Jisoo-noona also tells you to sleep, but you never do. You’ll feel better about doing your work if you go to sleep, and get some rest.”

Beomgyu frowns at Taehyun. “You’re a stubborn son of a-” Before Beomgyu can curse, he and Taehyun both hear a phone start ringing, and Beomgyu grabs his phone, seeing Jisoo’s name on the caller ID. With a sigh, Beomgyu answers the phone. “Hello?”

“Hi, dear,” Jisoo greets. “Did I wake you up?”

“No,” Beomgyu assures, glancing at Taehyun. “What’s up?”

“The twins and I aren’t going to be coming home today,” Jisoo informs. “I have to stay at work, and the twins still want to stay at the Chois’.”

“They’re going to want to stay over there forever until we say no,” Beomgyu reminds.

“Yeah I know, but I figured we could use this time for ourselves,” Jisoo says.

“You’re not going to be home today, so what’s the point?” Beomgyu says pointedly, even though he wishes Jisoo won’t be home anytime soon, so he and Taehyun can have more time to themselves.

“I know, but I’ll make it up to you,” Jisoo promises. “I’ll even wear that nightie, bra, panties, and garter you like so much.” Normally, Beomgyu would get hard and excited at the mention of Jisoo wearing his favorite sex outfit on her, but this time, he just gets a bit aroused. Not that much. But at the thought of _Taehyun_ wearing it… Beomgyu curses under his breath, squirming in his seat. Jisoo obviously hears it, since she lets out a chuckle. “I’ll see you soon, babe.”

“Y-yeah,” Beomgyu mutters. 

“Wait!” Jisoo says before Beomgyu can end the call.

“What is it, dear?” he asks.

“I forgot, today I agreed to have a dinner party at our house,” Jisoo says. 

Beomgyu sighs. “What time?”

“Seven,” Jisoo replies. “That’s why Taehyun stayed home yesterday—to clean everything up for today. Can you take care of the party?”

“Fine,” Beomgyu says. “When are you going to be home?”

“Probably later tonight, or tomorrow morning,” Jisoo replies. “I’ll bring the twins with me.”

“Okay,” Beomgyu says. “See you, then, dear.”

“Bye,” Jisoo says before they end the call.

“Was that Jisoo-noona?” 

Beomgyu jumps, startled since he forgot Taehyun is here. “Oh, shit, slave, you scared me.”

“Sorry,” he mutters.

“Yeah, that was Jisoo,” Beomgyu replies. “She nor the twins are coming home today, either.”

“Is it because of the dinner party?” Taehyun asks.

“Yeah,” Beomgyu sighs. But then what Taehyun asked hits him, and he looks up at Taehyun. “You knew?”

The brown-haired male nods. “Yeah. Noona told me yesterday morning. She didn’t mention it to you, because she thought she was going to be home.”

“Oh, okay,” Beomgyu mutters. “Do you know who’s coming over?”

“Um, I think your guys’ partners, and a few other workers,” Taehyun answers. “Oh, and I think all of your guys’ workers are coming, too, and an executive worker from Park’s Inc. will be coming as well.”

Beomgyu nods. “Are you going to be joining us?”

“I have to,” Taehyun reminds. “I’m a slave, after all.”

“Right,” Beomgyu mutters. “Anyway, why are you up so early?”

“I’m used to it,” Taehyun replies. “Speaking of which, you should go back to sleep. On a proper bed this time.”

Beomgyu groans. “You’re still insisting?”

“Yes,” Taehyun says. “You should rest, especially for tonight.”

This time, Beomgyu feels too tired to argue. He lets out a yawn as if on cue, and nods, standing up. “Fine.”

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen, surprised that Beomgyu is listening to him this time. “Good. Thank you, master.”

Beomgyu ignores Taehyun. “Wake me up at six, or there’ll be consequences, slave.”

“Yes, master,” he says, bowing. 

Beomgyu glances at Taehyun one last time, before walking out of his office, and heads toward his and Jisoo’s bedroom. Once Beomgyu is out of earshot, Taehyun sighs in relief, and with a smile, walks downstairs to start getting everything ready.

\--

Four hours later, Taehyun eyes the clock once again, the device telling him it is six a.m. He remembers Beomgyu telling him to wake him up at six, or else there will be consequences for him. At first, Taehyun was a bit scared, but now his dirty side has taken over, and he wonders what type of ‘consequences’ Beomgyu might have in mind.

Taehyun giggles to himself at that thought, walking out of the kitchen to head upstairs to Beomgyu’s and Jisoo’s room. A minute later, he arrives, and he knocks on the door, hoping Beomgyu can hear it. Taehyun is about to knock again a few seconds later, since he doesn’t get a reply, but Beomgyu says: “W-who is it?”

Taehyun feels shivers run down his spine again, because of Beomgyu’s deep voice, but focuses on waking Beomgyu up. “M-master, you have to get up. It’s a minute after six.”

Taehyun can hear Beomgyu curse quietly, which makes him hold back a giggle. “Alright. Make me some breakfast please.”

“Of course, master,” he replies. “What would you like?”

“Anything that isn’t too sugary is fine,” Beomgyu says. “Make it quick, slave.”

“Yes, master,” Taehyun says before he starts walking away.

Taehyun, if you haven’t noticed yet, is in a good mood today. He and Beomgyu started the day off without arguing, even if they were both being stubborn with each other. Beomgyu hasn’t been rude to Taehyun yet, just a bit mean, so Taehyun considers that a bit bigger than baby steps, which makes him happy. Maybe he and Beomgyu _can_ build a healthy non-romantic relationship between them if they keep this up.

Taehyun soon arrives in the kitchen and opens the fridge to see what Beomgyu might like. His eyes land on eggs, leftover pancake batter from yesterday, and berries. He can make Beomgyu scrambled eggs with pancakes and a berry smoothie. That’s healthy, right? To that thought, Taehyun takes the ingredients out of the fridge and starts working.

Twelve minutes later, Taehyun is finishing making the scrambled eggs—he started on the pancakes and smoothie first—when he hears footsteps coming down the stairs. He knows it’s Beomgyu, so a small smile crawls onto his face.

“You’re still cooking?” Indeed it is Beomgyu.

“Morning, master,” Taehyun greets, looking at Beomgyu. The older is just dressed in a black shirt and black pants, but he still looks more than hot in Taehyun’s eyes.

“What are you making?” Beomgyu asks, instead of returning the ‘good morning.’

“Um, I’m making some scrambled eggs right now, master,” Taehyun answers. “I already made some pancakes and a berry smoothie.”

Beomgyu nods, thinking that sounds yummy in his head. “Which one is for you?”

Taehyun stops to look at Beomgyu. “N-none of it, master. I made it all for you. Do you not want it?”

“I do, but you should eat, too,” he reminds.

“I will,” Taehyun assures, before returning to the blender. He holds in a squeal, finding it cute how Beomgyu cares about whether he eats or not.

“Eat half of the pancakes,” Beomgyu says. “I’ll eat the other half. The same goes for the eggs.”

“Are you sure, master?” Taehyun asks. “I can make myself more-”

“No, that’s okay,” Beomgyu interrupts. “You should eat some of your cooking, too.”

Taehyun smiles, and he can feel his cheeks start growing warm. “Th-thanks, master.”

Beomgyu looks at Taehyun in the eye this time, which makes Taehyun want to look away, but he doesn’t. Finally, Beomgyu nods, before he leaves to the kitchen to probably walk upstairs. Taehyun sighs in relief once Beomgyu is out of sight, feeling his heart pound rapidly against his rib cage.

Taehyun soon finishes making everything and serves half of the pancakes on one plate, and the other on another. He does the same to the eggs and makes himself a tropical smoothie instead of a berry one. He serves everything nicely on the plates and takes out the utensils. He carries the plate and cup to the dining room, placing the utensils on a napkin next to the plate. Taehyun walks back to the kitchen, and gets out a fork for himself, before walking out to the living room.

“Master, the food is ready!” Taehyun calls out, before cursing to himself. He had forgotten most of the other workers are still sleeping, since it’s Sunday, and they are allowed to wake up at whatever time they want, as long as it is before noon.

“I’ll be down soon!” Beomgyu calls back. Taehyun nods to himself and walks back to the kitchen. He takes bites of his food as he neatens up a few things in the kitchen. He’s almost done with his plate when he hears footsteps coming down the stairs. “Slave?”

Taehyun is quick to walk out of the kitchen, smiling at Beomgyu. “Yes, master?”

“Where’s my plate?” he asks.

“In the dining room, master,” Taehyun replies.

“Take it to the living room,” Beomgyu orders. 

Taehyun just nods without any questions, even though he wants to ask. Beomgyu glances at Taehyun before he walks toward the living room. Taehyun walks toward the dining room and grabs the plate, cup, utensils, and napkin. He walks toward the living room and places the plate down on the coffee table in front of Beomgyu.

“Anything else I can get you, master?” Taehyun offers.

“That’ll be all,” Beomgyu mutters. “Where’s your food?”

“In the kitchen,” Taehyun answers.

Beomgyu’s eyes slightly widen. “Have you not eaten yet?”

“I have,” Taehyun assures. “Is that all, master?”

Beomgyu doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, before he says, “Yeah.” It takes him time, but he also eventually says, “Thank…you.”

Taehyun smiles, feeling his heart flutter. “Of course, master.” He bows to Beomgyu, before he walks back to the kitchen.

\--

Beomgyu and Taehyun don’t talk for the next two hours, both of them being too busy to do so. Beomgyu orders two of the workers, along with Jared, to go to the store to buy some things for the party later on. The three go, but Jared stares at Taehyun for a long time as he walks out of the mansion, which makes Taehyun a bit uncomfortable. 

Currently, it is five-eleven right now, which means forty-nine more minutes until the guests start arriving. Taehyun is mopping one of the guest bathroom’s floor when he hears footsteps approach where he is, and a knock soon on the door. Taehyun looks up, expecting to see a worker, but instead, he sees Beomgyu.

“M-master,” Taehyun says breathlessly, a bit surprised.

“Hey,” Beomgyu mutters. “What are you going to do after this?” 

“Um, mop the stairs, before taking a shower,” Taehyun replies. “Why?”

“You’re going to be my date tonight,” Beomgyu says. “Well, not really ‘date’, but you’re going to be by my side the whole time. Jisoo isn’t here, so you’re my next option.”

Taehyun almost chokes on his own saliva. “E-excuse me?”

“You’re going to be my date for the night,” Beomgyu repeats. “I know you went to the mall with Jisoo and her friends the other day, so wear something nice. Did they buy you hair and makeup stuff, too?”

Taehyun nods. “Y-yeah.”

“Good,” Beomgyu says. “Get all dolled up, slave. I’ll be expecting you to look nicer than this.”

“O-okay, master,” Taehyun says.

Beomgyu nods, and he walks off without another word. Taehyun bites his bottom lip anxiously, and he steps out of the bathroom to look at the clock nearby; six-sixteen. That means he only has forty-six minutes to get ready. He better hurry up.

\--

Fortunately, Taehyun is done mopping the guest bathroom and the stairs sixteen minutes later, which only leaves him with thirty minutes to get ready. He quickly dumps the water he used to mop and jogs toward his room. He closes and locks the door behind him, and starts stripping out of his rags, letting them fall to the floor. He quickly grabs the bags from the mall he hasn’t unpacked yet and walks inside the bathroom. He takes out the toiletries he can find and grabs the rose-scented shampoo and soap, and vanilla-scented conditioner. He walks inside the shower and turns the water knob setting to hot.

Taehyun showers as quick as he can, but makes sure to take his time cleaning his skin thoroughly. When he’s done, he grabs baby oil from the bag, and lathers it over his skin, before stepping out of the shower. He quickly dries himself and wraps the towel around his upper body. He walks out of the bathroom and grabs the other bags that he knows he has clothes in.

Taehyun dumps the clothes on his bed and searches through them to see which one is the best. His eyes land on a pastel yellow silk blouse, black jeans, and a black belt. But they also land on a red velvet v-neck crop top, black skinny jeans, a black belt, and black ankle boots. He ponders about the choices for a moment, before he decides on the crop top outfit. He quickly pulls it on, having a bit of difficulty tying the strings of the top behind his back, but he manages.

Taehyun then starts on his hair, straightening it, but making it a bit curly. He then starts on his makeup, which is a light shade of pink, liquid eyeliner and mascara, and a shade of red lipstick on his lips. Taehyun rummages through his bags, before he finds a bottle of vanilla perfume, and sprays a bit on himself. He takes a final look at himself in the mirror and slightly fixes his crop top. He smiles, before checking the time; 6:55. 

“Oh, shit,” he curses to himself before he quickly walks out of his room. “M-master!”

“Yes, slave?” Beomgyu’s voice comes from downstairs.

Taehyun sighs in relief, relieved Beomgyu doesn’t sound mad. He quickly rushes down the stairs, the heels of his boots clicking against the marble of the stairs. “Sorry I took so long. I didn’t know my makeup would take me forever.” Instead of receiving a response, Taehyun gets silence. He looks up at Beomgyu, wondering why he isn’t saying anything when he notices Beomgyu is staring at him in shock. Taehyun curses under his breath, barely remembering Beomgyu warned him about wearing women’s clothing. “I-I’m sorry, master, I-I’ll go change-”

“No,” Beomgyu interrupts quickly. He looks up to look at Taehyun in the eye. “Stay like that.”

“A-are you sure?” he frowns.

Beomgyu nods. “I’m sure. Wow, slave, you look _beautiful.”_

Taehyun wasn’t expecting a _compliment_ from Beomgyu, so he turns as red as his crop top. “Th-thank you, master.” To compliment Beomgyu as well, Taehyun looks at Beomgyu’s outfit, realizing he is wearing a white long-sleeve button-up tucked into black slacks, a black belt tied around his waist. His hair is down, but his forehead is showing.

Taehyun never knew he could find a forehead so hot.

“Y-you look good, too, master,” he returns.

Beomgyu lets out a small smile. “Thanks, slave. You ready? The party starts in three minutes.”

Since the other workers and slaves aren’t Beomgyu’s date for the night, they got the chance to set everything up for the party. They are still dressed up in their attire—Taehyun is the only one dressed nicely out of all of them.

“Yes, master,” he replies. “Are _you_ ready?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu chuckles. “Let’s just hope this goes well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stopped at exactly 3100 words 😎
> 
> also, if u have a problem w taehyun wearing a crop top, grow up


	9. Candy Sweet

Around four hours later, Taehyun finds himself and Beomgyu stumbling toward the nearest bedroom, their lips interlocked, and both of them not being able to keep their hands off each other. Taehyun keeps shifting his hands from Beomgyu’s soft silver hair, his nape, neck, shoulders, and biceps, whilst Beomgyu’s keeps shifting from Taehyun’s soft brown hair, his cheeks, jaw, slim, slim waist, hips, or ass. They grip each other as if their life depends on it, which they feel like it does.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do this,” Beomgyu says lowly as he and Taehyun finally stumble into an empty guest bedroom.

“I’ve been wanting this for a long time, too,” he agrees and quickly reconnects their lips after Beomgyu closes and locks the door behind them. Beomgyu eagerly bites down on Taehyun’s bottom lip, making him moan, and open his mouth to Beomgyu. The older immediately enters his tongue inside Taehyun’s mouth, making him walk backward until the back of Taehyun’s knees hit the bed, and he falls on the soft mattress. Beomgyu climbs on top of him, pinning Taehyun’s wrists above his head. Taehyun lets Beomgyu ravish his mouth, kissing him back just as eagerly. Their tongues intertwine, and Taehyun lets out a soft moan. Fortunately, their moans and pants can’t be heard by the semi loud music outside, so they’re safe. “D-do you have a condom and lube?” he asks as they finally pull away to breathe. 

“Don’t worry about anything, doll,” Beomgyu whispers. “Tonight is just about making you feel good, and making you scream my name.”

Taehyun probably gets ten times harder at those words and lets out a whine. Beomgyu thankfully gets what he wants, and starts kissing down his neck, biting and sucking softly and harshly on the soft tan skin. He lets go of Taehyun’s wrists, and Taehyun immediately wraps his legs around Beomgyu’s waist and entangles his fingers in Beomgyu’s hair. 

Beomgyu trails down, kissing every inch of skin he sees on Taehyun until he reaches the younger’s crop top. Seeing Taehyun’s beautiful backside earlier, Beomgyu knows to take off the crop top by untying it from the back, so that’s what he does. Once it is untied, the thin straps of the crop top fall from Taehyun’s delicate shoulders, exposing more of his collarbone. Beomgyu throws the crop top off Taehyun’s body and immediately lowers down to start kissing more of Taehyun’s delicious skin.

Beomgyu leaves hickies everywhere, making Taehyun moan at how _amazing_ Bemgyu’s lips feel on his skin. This is just how Taehyun predicted having sex with Beomgyu was going to be: bewildering and breathtaking. Jisoo must be a lucky gal if she gets this almost every night.

 _Stop. Don’t think of her right now_ , Taehyun thinks to himself, shaking his head. _Tonight is just about you and Beomgyu and making each other feel good. That woman is gone for now._

At that thought, Taehyun pulls Beomgyu closer and smashes their lips together again. Beomgyu happily kisses back, his cold fingertips trailing against the heated skin of Taehyun’s slightly toned stomach. Taehyun bites on Beomgyu’s bottom lip this time, and Beomgyu opens his mouth to let Taehyun’s tongue in. Their tongues intertwine again, and Taehyun pulls on the strands of Beomgyu’s hair. When they pull away for oxygen again, they both breathe heavily, only staring at each other with intensity, sexual tension rising in the air.

Finally, Taehyun looks Beomgyu in the eye, blinking up at him. Slightly panting, Taehyun says, “I want you…to fuck me _so_ hard, I can’t walk tomorrow, or for the rest of the week. Do you think you can make that happen, master?”

Beomgyu smiles smugly, and he kisses the corner of Taehyun’s lips. “Challenge accepted, baby.”

By now, Beomgyu’s damn Daegu accent has slipped out, and that makes Taehyun groan, turning him on even more. Beomgyu is just as needy as Taehyun, probably more, so he continues kissing down Taehyun’s chest and stomach. When he reaches the top of Taehyun’s jeans, he takes off the belt and throws it somewhere behind them. When it is time for the jeans, Beomgyu slowly unbuttons and unzips them, keeping eye contact with Taehyun the whole time. Taehyun just wants to take his jeans off himself, but he senses Beomgyu will give him a harder time if he does, so he keeps himself back, impatiently waiting for Beomgyu to take his jeans off.

Finally, Beomgyu unbuttons and unzips Taehyun’s jeans, and takes them off his long slim legs. Beomgyu throws the jeans somewhere in the room and doesn’t take his time taking Taehyun’s boxers off. Once the clothing is off, Taehyun’s dick leaps out, relieved it is finally released from its confines. Beomgyu lets out a small smirk, and he leans down, engulfing Taehyun’s dick inside his mouth. Beomgyu starts by swirling his tongue around the tip, driving Taehyun crazy. He starts letting out strings of moans, his hands fisting the pillow underneath his head. Beomgyu starts bobbing his head up and down slowly, making sure Taehyun knows he’s going to torture him and take his sweet ass time.

As much as Taehyun wants Beomgyu to _hurry the fuck up_ , he doesn’t say anything, because he’s semi enjoying this, and finds this lowkey hot. Beomgyu making him suffer, and taking his sweet ass time with him? Can it get any hotter than that? It can, since Beomgyu looks up at Taehyun, blinking his eyes up at him. Taehyun lets out a groan, throwing his head back against the pillow. He feels Beomgyu chuckle around him, which sends vibrations down his dick, making Taehyun moan. Thankfully, Beomgyu starts going faster, getting impatient to put his cock inside Taehyun already.

Beomgyu continues bobbing his head up and down, spending most of his time swirling his tongue and sucking on the tip. Because of that, it doesn’t take long before Taehyun feels heat pool at the pit of his stomach, and with a whine mixed with a moan, he cums inside Beomgyu’s mouth. Surprisingly, Beomgyu swallows all of it, smirking up at Taehyun.

“M-master, please hurry,” he whines. “I-I can’t wait anymore.”

Beomgyu chuckles, and he leans down to kiss Taehyun, letting the younger taste himself in Beomgyu’s mouth. When they pull away, Beomgyu sees tears shining in Taehyun’s eyes, but he doesn’t feel bad. Instead, he smiles a bit cruelly and wipes the tear that falls from Taehyun’s eye away. “You gotta be patient, dollie. Good boys get rewards. Are you a good boy, dollie?”

Taehyun nods, sniffling. “Y-yes, master. I-I’m _your_ good boy.”

“Good,” Beomgyu says. “Do you think you can be patient?”

Taehyun nods again. “Y-yes, master.”

“Good boy,” Beomgyu praises, before he lowers himself a bit, and spreads Taehyun’s legs wider to let himself have some more space in between them. Beomgyu lowers down more, and he swipes his tongue against Taehyun’s entrance. Taehyun gasps, and his hands immediately fist the bedsheets beneath him. Beomgyu notices, and he lets out a chuckle. He swipes his tongue against Taehyun’s rim, which makes Taehyun moan. Beomgyu takes that as a sign and continues doing it until he plunges his tongue deeper, and starts eating Taehyun out properly. This time, it takes around a minute or so for Taehyun to cum, but he does, for the second time this night. By now, he should be exhausted, and want to go to sleep, but no. He wants Beomgyu’s cock inside of him, and won’t go to sleep until he has some good dick. “Are you ready for me, dollie? Do you want me to prep you some more?”

Taehyun shakes his head. “N-no, master. I want you inside me. I _need_ you inside me. P-please.”

“Just because you said please,” Beomgyu mutters. He leans over toward the nightstand and opens one of the drawers. Inside he sees a bottle of lube, so he takes it out. He rummages through the packages before he finds a condom his size. Beomgyu places the condom beside Taehyun to open the bottle of lube. He coats three of his fingers with it, before slathering it onto his cock. Once he figures it has enough, Beomgyu rips open the package with his teeth and pulls the condom on.

Looking at the beautiful boy underneath him, Beomgyu grips Taehyun’s hips and aligns his cock with Taehyun’s hole. Taehyun nods at him, so Beomgyu slowly starts inserting himself inside Taehyun. Beomgyu can tell the younger is a virgin, especially since his walls are so tight and warm around Beomgyu’s cock. Beomgyu curses under his breath but doesn’t notice Taehyun crying until he looks up.

Beomgyu immediately stops moving, and he lowers to cup Taehyun’s cheeks, wiping his tears away. “Oh, no, baby, why are you crying?”

“I-I’m fine,” he says, sniffling. “I-it just burns a bit.”

“Do you want me to stop?” Beomgyu offers.

“P-please,” Taehyun whispers. Luckily, Beomgyu hears Taehyun, so he nods. He stops moving and lets Taehyun adjust to his size. It takes a few minutes, but soon Taehyun lets out a breath and looks back at Beomgyu. “I-I’m ready, master.”

“You sure?” he asks.

Taehyun nods, so Beomgyu inserts the rest of himself in. He does it extra slow, especially when he hears Taehyun’s hiss. All of him is soon inside Taehyun, but Beomgyu waits a few seconds to start moving his hips, closing his eyes at the feeling of having Taehyun’s tight and warm walls around him, clenching every few seconds.

Finally, Beomgyu grips Taehyun’s hips and starts moving his own. Taehyun can feel the movement inside of him, and he starts letting out small moans. For now, he only feels pain, but the pain soon mixes with pleasure, until the pain is completely gone. Taehyun throws his head back against his pillow and clenches the bedsheets underneath him. Beomgyu moves faster inside of him by the minute, creating skin slapping noises that can be heard in the room. But Beomgyu’s and Taehyun’s minds are only filled with each other and making each other feel good.

The faster and rougher Beomgyu moves, the more moans Taehyun lets out. He’s sure the whole mansion can hear him, but for now, he can’t care less. All he cares about right now is Beomgyu, and how _amazing_ the older feels inside of him. Taehyun wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck, doing the same with his legs to Beomgyu’s waist, pulling Beomgyu closer. Beomgyu smiles at the gesture, and he leans down to kiss Taehyun. The brunette kisses back, entangling his fingers in the silver strands of Beomgyu’s hair. This time, they don’t kiss each other hungrily and eagerly—they kiss each other with pure love. When they pull away, they don’t pull away for oxygen—they pull away to look at each other.

“You are so gorgeous, Kang Taehyun,” Beomgyu whispers. “I’m so sorry for being rude to you.”

Taehyun smiles. “I-it’s okay, master. You can be rude to me all you want, as long as this is your apology.”

Beomgyu smiles, and he lets out a small chuckle. “Deal.”

Taehyun giggles, but it turns into a loud moan when he feels Beomgyu hit a certain spot that makes him see stars. Beomgyu keeps hitting that spot over and over again, and Taehyun’s nails scratch his back, leaving behind red marks. Beomgyu swings Taehyun’s legs on his shoulders and continues abusing Taehyun’s prostate. All Taehyun can do is clench the bedsheets underneath him, and moan at how breathtaking this all feels.

Soon, Taehyun feels heat pool at the pit of his stomach again, and he lets out a moan of Beomgyu’s name. After that, it isn’t long before he cums for the third time this night, Beomgyu’s name falling out of his lips easily. Beomgyu chuckles at the sight of seeing Taehyun look so wrecked, and he continues thrusting to make Taehyun feel overwhelmed. It isn’t long before Beomgyu feels heat pool at the pit of his stomach as well, and he starts giving sloppy thrusts. It takes time, but he soon cums inside the condom, Taehyun’s name falling from his mouth as he moans.

The two then just sit there, panting as they try to come down from their high. Beomgyu looks down at Taehyun, seeing that the younger is covered with hickeys, which makes Beomgyu smile. He leans down to press a kiss on Taehyun’s stomach before he gets off Taehyun to grab some wipes. He comes back, and cleans both of them up, before throwing the wipes away. He lays down next to Taehyun, wrapping his arms around Taehyun’s slim waist.

“Th-that was amazing,” he mutters, looking at Beomgyu with dazed eyes.

“It was,” he agrees. 

“I want to ride you,” Taehyun abruptly states. 

Beomgyu looks at Taehyun in surprise, but now that Taehyun mentions it, he wants Taehyun to ride him, too. “Ride me, then.”


	10. Mistakes

The next morning, Taehyun is the first to wake up. Surprisingly, this time he doesn’t wake up extremely early like he always does. The first thing he notices when he wakes up is the dim-lit room, which means the sun is out already since the curtains are closed. Whenever Taehyun wakes up, it’s usually an hour before dawn, so the sun is down. The second thing Taehyun notices is that he’s in a strange room. The room he is in isn’t his own, so where is he? Is he still at the Chois’ mansion? What the hell happened last night? All he remembers is drinking a glass of something with a lemon taste mixed with gin, and something else, and then boom, he was out like a light. It was his first time drinking last night, which is understandable why he’s lightweight. The third thing Taehyun notices is that his head is pounding very loudly, and it feels as if it’s going to explode. How much did he drink last night? Wait. Was he even _allowed_ to drink? He was on Beomgyu’s side the whole night, especially since Beomgyu had his arm wrapped around his slim waist, so he wouldn’t wander off.

(well, that’s what beomgyu told taehyun when he asked why his arm was around him.)

Speaking of Beomgyu, the fourth thing Taehyun notices is that he has a weight around his small waist. It isn’t heavy or anything, but it’s noticeable. He also feels a broad chest against his back, and warm breath hitting his nape every five seconds. 

_Someone’s behind me._

At that realization, Taehyun’s eyes widen, and he slowly turns his face around. He desperately hopes there isn’t a _monster_ or, even worse, a _stranger_ behind him. As Taehyun’s eyes land on the person’s face, he’s relieved it isn’t a monster or a stranger. But then something hits him, and he realizes this _is_ worse than having a monster or stranger behind him because behind him is Beomgyu, a _married_ man, and a _father_ to two kids.

Taehyun’s eyes widen, and he feels dread creep up in him. He notices Beomgyu’s upper body that can be seen is naked, and by glancing underneath the bedsheet covering their bodies, Taehyun realizes that they are _both_ naked. Which only means one thing:

They had sex last night.

Taehyun’s hand clamps over his mouth in shock. No wonder his lower back and ass feel sore. Is that what it feels like to lose your virginity? He also notices his legs are slightly shaking, even though he and Beomgyu probably had sex hours ago. Was Beomgyu that good? 

The only thing Taehyun feels guilty about, besides being a homewrecker, is that he wasn’t sober when he and Beomgyu had sex. If he was sober, he could’ve still remembered how everything went down, and how (probably) amazing and good Beomgyu’s cock felt inside of him. But of course, he had to be drunk.

 _Right now is not the time to be regretting that, Kang_ , he scolds himself. _Right now is the time to be thinking how the hell to get out of here without waking master up._

Taehyun sighs. That’s going to be hard. Knowing how easily Beomgyu can wake up from yesterday morning, Taehyun knows if he unwraps Beomgyu’s arm around him, Beomgyu’s going to wake up. Then the situation between them will be awkward, and it can only go in two ways: either Beomgyu is rude to him, snaps, and yells at him for ‘forcing’ Beomgyu to have sex with him, or Beomgyu wakes up, doesn’t spare Taehyun a glance, and walks out of the room without a word. Although Taehyun prefers for the latter to happen, he hopes neither one will, because that’ll just end up with him having a broken heart.

So, instead, Taehyun opts to just try to go back to sleep, or fake it, in case Beomgyu wakes up soon. Taehyun takes a deep breath, and exhales as he digs the side of his face into the soft pillow. He closes his eyes and tries to go back to sleep, and ignore the aching pain in his lower back and ass.

\--

Twenty minutes after Taehyun wakes up, Beomgyu does. His head is pounding just as much as Taehyun’s, probably more, and he feels drowsy. He swallows the bile rising in his throat, and squints at the dim light of the sun shining into the room. He lets out a groan and decides to look in front of him. His arms are wrapped around someone’s tiny waist, and he figures it’s Jisoo since she might’ve arrived home late last night. As Beomgyu digs his face deeper into the nape of ‘Jisoo’, he realizes his wife doesn’t use rose-scented shampoo, and her hair doesn’t feel as soft as a cloud.

(sure, it’s soft, but not soft as a cloud is what i mean.)

And her hair isn’t short, where it only reaches a few inches below her nape. Hers is long, flowing all the way to her lower back. So, who is laying in front of Beomgyu? The male’s eyebrows furrow, and he looks at the mirror on the sidewall that faces them. Beomgyu’s eyes land on the person’s face and his eyes widen when he realizes that it’s _Kang Taehyun_ , his new _slave_ , whom’s he sleeping next to. Beomgyu notices that Taehyun’s shoulders are naked, which probably means the rest of him is naked as well.

Beomgyu’s eyes get wider, and he clamps his hand over his mouth. He just _cheated_ on Jisoo. His wedding vow literally said he’d rather die than ever cheat on his wife. Guess Beomgyu is going to die soon.

 _Fuck, what were you thinking, Choi?_ , he scolds himself. _Fucking your wife’s new best friend is_ not _the way to go, you dumb fuck. Can’t you do one thing right for once in your life, you dumbass?- Hey, right now is not the time to insult me. Right now is the time to get out of here._

Beomgyu nods to that thought, and he slowly unwraps his arms around Taehyun’s slim waist, hoping Taehyun won’t wake up. Thankfully, Taehyun doesn’t, so Beomgyu gets off the bed, and starts pulling on his clothes. They’re wrinkled, but he doesn’t care. All he cares about is getting out of the room before Taehyun wakes up.

And that’s what Beomgyu does. He basically sprints out of the room, closes the door behind him, before sprinting upstairs to his office, forgetting to look around to see if anyone noticed him.

\--

Not that long after, Taehyun wakes up. His ass and lower back are still sore, but not as much as before. He doesn’t feel the weight around his small waist, and the warm breath hitting against his nape, so he lets out a sigh of relief. Beomgyu is gone.

But that also means Beomgyu remembered what happened last night, which means that both of them are now in an awkward situation with each other.

“Great,” Taehyun grumbles to himself.

Taehyun slowly sits up from the bed, wincing at the sore spot in his back. He waits a few seconds, before he gets off the bed, his legs immediately feeling wobbling. His legs give out, but Taehyun holds onto the bed before he can fall to the floor. He takes a few deep breaths and slightly bends down to grab his clothes from the floor. They’re wrinkled, and Taehyun doesn’t feel like wearing them, but he has to unless he wants to be naked.

After Taehyun ties the belt around his tiny waist, he walks out of the room and looks both ways to see if anyone is looking or notices him. No one is, so Taehyun quietly closes the door behind him, and slightly limps toward the stairs. He’s about to climb them up when he hears the doorknob and the sounds of keys jingling, and his eyes widen. Jisoo and the twins are home. Jisoo _can’t_ see Taehyun like this. If she does, she’s going to ask Taehyun questions, and he’ll eventually spill out his and Beomgyu’s secret: that they had an affair.

 _Shit, shit, shit_ , Taehyun curses as he runs as quickly as he can—which is pretty quick, despite his lower back and ass protesting at every step he takes—toward his room. Thankfully, by the time Taehyun hears the door opening, he’s already in his room. He ran past Beomgyu’s office, but the door was closed, much to Taehyun’s relief. Taehyun closes the door of his room behind him, locks it, and is quick to take off his clothes, hiding them under the covers of his bed. He quickly pulls his rags on, before leaving his room, and slightly limping toward the stairs. When he reaches them, he sees the twins in the living room, sitting on the couch as Jisoo helps them take off their shoes.

“Hey,” Taehyun greets.

The twins immediately look up at the sound of Taehyun’s voice, and their eyes light up. “Taehyun-ah!” The twins start getting up from the couch, but their mom pulls them back down.

“Wait until your shoes are off, twins,” she reminds.

“Sorry, momma,” the twins apologize in unison.

Jisoo nods and finally takes their shoes off. The twins then get up from the couch, and run toward Taehyun, who’s barely arriving at the bottom of the stairs, and hug his legs as an ambush, making him stumble a bit back, which makes him hiss at the ache of his back.

“You okay, Tae?” Jisoo, who seems to have heard Taehyun’s hiss, asks.

“I-I’m fine,” he lies, faking a small smile.

“Taehyun-ah, we missed you!” Yoonah says.

“Yeah!” Yeona agrees. “But we also had so much fun at the hospital!”

Taehyun never thought he’d hear ‘fun’ and ‘hospital’ in the same sentence, yet here he is. “Oh, wow, really? That sounds good.”

Yoonah nods in agreement. “Do you want to hear about our adventure?”

“Girls,” Jisoo says in a warning tone. “What did I tell you two had to do when we get home?”

“Homework,” they grumble in unison.

“Mama, do we really have to do it?” Yeona whines.

“Yes,” Jisoo says. “You guys already missed school today. Now go.” The twins whine, and they frown at each other, before trudging upstairs to their room. Jisoo and Taehyun soon hear the door of their room closing, leaving them alone. Once Taehyun realizes that, though, he starts panicking, but knows he can’t find a way out of here. “So how did yesterday go?” she asks, looking at Taehyun.

At the mention of yesterday, the brown-haired male gulps, and he remembers about the morning, how he woke up cuddled to Beomgyu. Taehyun shakes the memory out of his head, and he clears his throat as his cheeks turn a light shade of pink. “It went…fine.”

Jisoo nods. “That’s good. Beomgyu _did_ host the party, right?”

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun assures.

“Did he treat you guys right?” Jisoo questions.

Taehyun gulps but remembers Jisoo didn’t mean to make the question sound dirty. “Yeah. Uh, I was his ‘date’ for the night, since you weren’t here.”

Jisoo nods, surprisingly not mad. “That’s nice. Did you have fun?”

At the mention of fun, flashes of drinking, laughing, Beomgyu’s arm around his slim waist, kissing, taking off clothes, and moaning runs through Taehyun’s mind, and he feels a shudder run down his spine. “I-I guess you could say that.”

“You okay, Tae?” Jisoo inquires. “You seem a bit nervous, and your face is pink.”

“O-oh, I just…” Taehyun racks his brain to see what excuse he can find. “I just need to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh,” Jisoo says. She wasn’t expecting that answer. “Go, then. Sorry for keeping you waiting.”

Taehyun just nods, not even bothering to lie to Jisoo to say it’s okay. He turns around and starts walking toward the downstairs bathroom. Once he arrives, he gets in and locks the door behind him. He takes a few deep breaths, leaning against the wall. He has his eyes close, not opening them until he feels himself starting to calm down. When his eyes open, he looks at himself in the mirror and sees stress, guilt, and fear in his eyes. But then he notices multiple blue, red, and purple marks all across his neck, and the part of his collarbone and shoulder that show. Taehyun’s eyes widen, and he nears the mirror to see the marks better. He lowers the collar of his shirt and inspects the marks closer. That’s when he realizes these marks are _hickies_.

Hickies _Beomgyu_ left on him last night.

“Fuck,” Taehyun curses to himself. Wait. If the sleeve of his rag was lowering, showing his shoulder and collarbone, that means…Jisoo probably saw them as well, but didn’t say anything. Taehyun’s eyes widen, and he slaps his hand over his mouth. “Fuck.”

Taehyun skims the bathroom to see if he can find anything to cover the hickies, but he doesn’t find anything. He curses to himself but then gets an idea. He can always change his clothes into ones that cover his neck, collarbone, and shoulder. That is if he gets Jisoo’s permission.

But she’d let him, right?

“N-noona!” he calls out, slightly opening the door.

“Yes?” Jisoo calls back.

“Um, can I change into some better clothes?” Taehyun asks. “These fit me big.”

“Uh…sure,” Jisoo allows. “Just make sure to change quickly if the authority comes by.”

“O-okay!”

Taehyun is about to open the bathroom door, hoping Jisoo isn’t facing his way, when Jisoo says, “Hey, Tae, where’s Beomgyu?”

At the mention of the silver-haired male, goosebumps rise on Taehyun’s skin, and he gulps. “I-I think he’s in his office, noona.” To be honest, Taehyun doesn’t know if Beomgyu is still here or not, but he’s taking a wild guess.

“Okay, thanks!” Jisoo says before Taehyun hears her footsteps walking up the stairs. 

Taehyun sighs in relief, and he waits until he can’t hear Jisoo’s footsteps anymore to walk out of the bathroom. He jogs upstairs toward his room, completely ignoring Beomgyu’s office. Thankfully, the door is closed, so neither Beomgyu nor Jisoo notices him.

Taehyun gets inside his room safely and closes the door behind him. He sighs in relief, before he quickly goes over toward one of his bags, and opens it. He rummages through a few other bags before he finds an outfit. He takes out a pastel pink hoodie and black jeans. He pulls them on and pulls on some shoes. He looks at himself in the mirror, seeing that the hoodie covers his hickies well enough. Taehyun sighs in relief again, before he organizes his bags, and places them in his closet. He takes a deep breath and he opens the door to his room. When he walks out, he doesn’t see anyone in the hallway, so he figures Beomgyu and Jisoo are still talking in Beomgyu’s office.

Taehyun quickly walks past the said room and heads for the stairs. As he starts placing his foot on the first step, he notices silver hair from his peripheral vision and looks up quickly. Beomgyu is in the kitchen, serving himself some coffee.

(he would’ve told taehyun to do it if they didn’t have sex last night.)

Taehyun curses under his breath and quickly walks backward when he notices Beomgyu turning around. Taehyun turns to walk back to his room, but that’s when he almost bumps into Jisoo.

“O-oh, sorry, noona,” Taehyun mutters.

“It’s fine,” Jisoo assures. “I wasn’t looking where I was going, either.”

Taehyun nods. “Are the twins still in their room?”

“Oh, right,” Jisoo mutters. “Um, can you go get them? I have to talk with Beomgyu.”

Taehyun slightly tenses at the mention of the older’s name, but nods. “S-sure.”

“Thank you,” Jisoo says with a smile before she walks downstairs.

 _At least I don’t have to be alone with Beomgyu now_ , Taehyun thinks to himself as he walks toward the twins’ room. He lightly knocks on the door, and it is soon opened a second later, Yoonah appearing.

“Hi, Taehyun-ah!” she greets. “What are you doing here?”

“Your mom told me to come get you two,” Taehyun replies. “Are you guys done with your homework?”

“Almost,” Yeona says. “We just have math, which sucks.”

“We don’t need math,” Yoonah adds. “That’s why we have calculators.”

Taehyun chuckles. Soobin had said that the other day at the brunch, when Beomgyu, Jisoo, Soobin, and Yeonjun were talking about their days at school. “I’ll help you guys later. For now, let’s go downstairs to eat.”

“Food!” Yoonah squeals and she is quick to start running downstairs.

“Yoonah, be careful!” Taehyun calls out.

“Are you ready to go, Taehyun-ah?” Yeona asks.

“Yeah,” Taehyun answers, forgetting about Beomgyu for a second. “Are _you_?”

Yeona huffs. “I was _born_ ready.”

Taehyun giggles. “Let’s go, then.”

Yeona nods and she and Taehyun walk downstairs. When they arrive, they see Beomgyu, Jisoo, and Yoonah all in the kitchen, Yoonah in Beomgyu’s arms as she complains probably about her homework to Beomgyu. “W-we’re here,” he announces, averting eye contact, or even _looking_ at Beomgyu on purpose. 

“Mommy, where’s the food?” Yoonah whines. “I thought it was ready to go.”

“We still need to make it, angel,” Jisoo reminds. “For now, you two can watch Spongebob with daddy.”

“Spongebob!” Yeona cheers, before she quickly runs toward the living room. “Come on, daddy, turn the TV on!”

Beomgyu chuckles, and he walks toward the living room. To go to the living room, you have to take either the left or right side of the kitchen island that’s placed in the middle of the room, but Beomgyu decides to take the right, just where Taehyun is. Their arms slightly brush against each other’s, and Taehyun’s eyes widen as his face turns pink again.

“What do you want to make for breakfast, Tae?” Jisoo asks as she and Taehyun are now left alone.

“A-anything’s fine,” he mutters.

“How about omelets?” Jisoo suggests. “I haven’t had those in a while.”

“S-sure,” Taehyun agrees, and he and Jisoo start working.

As they work, Jisoo does most of the talking, Taehyun just nodding here and there. His mind isn’t focused on speaking—it’s focused on Beomgyu. Taehyun sometimes feels a pair of eyes on him, but he isn’t brave enough to turn around to see if it’s Beomgyu. Jisoo also doesn’t notice Taehyun’s slight limping, which is a relief to Taehyun. They take around fifteen minutes making the omelets, before setting everything down on the table.

“Tae, can you call them, please?” Jisoo questions as she rinses her hands.

“S-sure,” Taehyun replies. He takes a deep breath before he slightly walks out of the kitchen, which looks into the living room. He notices Beomgyu sitting in the middle between his daughters, laughing as Patrick says something funny on the TV. “B-breakfast’s ready, everyone.”

“Food!” Yoonah squeals as she quickly slides off the couch, and runs toward the kitchen.

“Yoonah, be careful,” Beomgyu warns, but it isn’t long before Yeona runs behind her twin. Beomgyu sighs and gets up. Since Taehyun is still looking in the direction of the living room, the two make eye contact. Taehyun can feel his face heating up, but he doesn’t look away. It isn’t until Jisoo’s voice rings in his ear that he looks away, and turns around quickly.

“This looks yummy, mommy!” Yeona says as she licks her lips. “What is it?”

“Omelets,” Jisoo replies. “They have eggs and veggies.”

Yoonah makes a disgusted face. _“Veggies?”_

“They’re good, Yoonah,” Jisoo assures. “Just take a bite.”

Yeona frowns. “They look crusty.”

“Yeona, that’s not nice,” Jisoo scolds. “Taehyun made them.”

“Oh, really?!” Yoonah’s face lights up at that. “Okay, then! They’re yummy!”

Taehyun giggles. “Thanks, Yoonah.”

“What’s for breakfast?” Beomgyu’s voice suddenly appears, making Taehyun jump.

“Omelets,” Jisoo replies. “Taehyun made most of them.”

“That sounds yummy,” Beomgyu says as he brushes past Taehyun again, and sits down next to Yeona.

“Tae, are you going to sit?” Jisoo asks.

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun mutters. He sits down next to Jisoo, which thankfully faces Yeona, but her dad is right next to her, so he’s in Taehyun’s peripheral vision. That is going to be hard to ignore.

Surprisingly, though, breakfast goes well, and Beomgyu and Taehyun make eye contact a few times, but the twins are quick to make them look away from each other. Everyone, even Beomgyu, thanks Taehyun for the breakfast, and he only smiles nervously. He picks up everyone’s plates and does it quickly when he’s picking up Beomgyu’s. He places the plates in the sink, and Jisoo joins him with the other dishes.

“Are you okay with washing the dishes, Tae?” she questions. 

“Yeah,” Taehyun assures. “I’ll be fine, noona.”

“If you say so,” Jisoo says. “I’ll be upstairs in my office if you need me.”

Taehyun nods, and he slides up the sleeves of his hoodie to not get them wet. He makes the dish soap water, before starting to wash the dishes. He hears the twins go upstairs with Jisoo, but he doesn’t hear Beomgyu talk, which kind of concerns him. But Taehyun shrugs it off, trying to only focus on washing the dishes. His mission is about to be accomplished when he suddenly hears footsteps enter the kitchen, and he curses under his breath, really hoping it’s Jisoo or the twins-

“Taehyun.”

It’s Beomgyu.

Fuck.

Taehyun clears his throat but doesn’t turn to look at Beomgyu in the eye, even though it’s required for slaves to do so to their masters. “Y-yes, master?”

“Look at me,” he orders.

Taehyun curses under his breath. He was really hoping Beomgyu wouldn’t tell him that. “U-uh, I’m kinda busy washing the dishes, master, so I might cut m-myself-”

“Kang Taehyun, I said to look at me.”

At those words, a shiver runs down Taehyun’s spine, and he drops the plate he was holding with shaky hands. He slowly turns around, and hesitantly looks up to look at Beomgyu in the eye. “Y-yes, m-master?”

“Meet me in my office after you’re done,” he demands. “We need to talk.”

“Y-yes, m-master,” Taehyun replies.

Beomgyu looks at Taehyun for a few seconds, making him a bit uncomfortable, before he turns to walk away. Taehyun sighs in relief and turns back around to the sink. He just hopes Beomgyu won’t do anything to him when he goes to his office.

\--

Around ten minutes later, Taehyun is done washing the dishes, so he dries his hands. He takes a deep breath and walks out of the kitchen. He heads for the stairs and slowly starts climbing them up. When he reaches the top, he slows down his pace as he walks toward Beomgyu’s office. Taehyun soon arrives, and he frowns at the closed door. He raises his arm to knock, hesitates before he slowly knocks on the door.

“Come in,” Beomgyu allows. 

Taehyun opens the door, and steps inside the office. Beomgyu is seated at his desk, reading through a few papers. Taehyun clears his throat. “S-sorry to interrupt, m-master, but you wanted to see m-me?”

“Yes,” Beomgyu replies. “Close the door.”

“Y-yes, master,” Taehyun mutters. He slightly turns to close the door and looks back at Beomgyu. “W-what do you want to talk about, m-master?”

“Sit down,” he orders, instead of answering Taehyun’s question. Taehyun nods, and he slowly sits down on the chair a few feet away from where Beomgyu is sitting. His hands and legs start to shake, and Taehyun tries to make them stop, but they don’t. Finally, Beomgyu sighs, and he places the papers he was reading down. He turns and looks at Taehyun, who’s looking back at him nervously. “I think you know why I want to talk to you.”

Taehyun gulps, remembering how he and Beomgyu woke up earlier. “Y-yeah, I do, master.”

“Do you remember what happened last night?” he asks.

Taehyun hesitates before he shakes his head. “D-do you, master?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu sighs, running his fingers through his silver hair. At that, flashes of Taehyun pulling on silver strands as he moans, someone pounding into him. He shudders, squirming in his seat. “We…had a drink, we all realized you’re a lightweight, I tried to take you to your room, but you…”

“I…what, master?” Taehyun questions hesitantly.

“You kissed me,” Beomgyu answers, making Taehyun’s eyes widen. “I tried pushing you off, but you would just keep kissing me. I was a bit tipsy, so I kissed you back eventually, we stumbled into an empty room, and…I think you know what happened next.”

_“Choi Beomgyu, right?”_

_At the voice, Beomgyu and Taehyun turned to look at the male who talked. Beomgyu smiled, and his grip around Taehyun’s slim waist tightened, pulling him closer. Taehyun found it weird, but he also found it…hot. “Yes, I am. And you are?”_

_“Mr. Wang,” he introduced himself, extending out his hand._

_Beomgyu shook ‘Mr. Wang’s’ hand, smiling at him. “Nice to meet you. This is my date, Kang Taehyun.”_

_The words ‘this is my date’ always made Taehyun’s heart flutter, and for once, he thought he and Beomgyu were really dating._

_“Nice to meet you, Taehyun,” Mr. Wang said. He motioned to the beautiful raven-haired woman next to him wearing a black silk gown. “This is my date, Kim Dahm.”_

_“Nice to meet you,” she said with a smile, shaking hands with Beomgyu and Taehyun._

_“Likewise,” they returned in unison._

_“So, why did you decide to talk to me, Mr. Wang?” Beomgyu asked._

_“To discuss business,” Mr. Wang replied. “Would you like to talk this over a drink?”_

_Beomgyu knew that was a way to get him drunk, so drunk that he wouldn’t even know what he’s signing. But he’s smarter than that and can order a drink that barely has any alcohol. “Sure. Taehyun, would you like to join us?”_

_“Of course,” he said. Taehyun would rather drink than be at this huge party alone._

_There was already music playing, so the four had to slightly shout to be heard. They soon arrived at the bar, and they each ordered their drinks, except for Taehyun. When Beomgyu noticed the brown-haired male didn’t order anything, he turned to him._

_“Slave, are you not going to get a drink?” Beomgyu quietly asked._

_“I-I haven’t drunk anything with alcohol before, master,” Taehyun admitted._

_“Of course you haven’t,” Beomgyu sighed. “Want me to order for you?”_

_Taehyun nodded. “Yes, please.”_

_“Alright,” Beomgyu muttered. He got the bartender’s attention and ordered a French 75 for Taehyun. The bartender nodded and started working on the drinks._

_Beomgyu and Mr. Wang then started talking about business things, whilst Taehyun tried talking with Dahm. He was awkward, and she was a bit pushy to know things about Beomgyu, so their conversation didn’t go too well. The bartender soon handed them their drinks, and they thanked him, before he nodded, and got other people’s orders._

_Taehyun grabbed his drink and stared at it. It was a light yellow with a lemon peel on the rim. It was in a tall glass, and Taehyun carefully sniffed it, getting a load of alcohol and lemon juice. He almost gagged at the smell, but he hesitantly took a sip. The drink made its way down his throat, burned it, which caused him to start coughing horribly. The other three stopped talking, and they looked at him in surprise._

_Beomgyu was the only one worried, though. Or acted like he was. “Oh my god, Tyun, are you okay?”_

_Taehyun was surprised at the new nickname, but he was currently trying to stop choking. “N-no.”_

_“Fuck,” Beomgyu cursed. “Come with me.” Beomgyu didn’t wait for Taehyun to respond, grabbing his wrist, and started dragging him upstairs. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to react like_ that _?”_

_“I-I’ve never drunk anything with alcohol, master,” he reminded._

_“Right,” Beomgyu muttered. “Come on, then, let’s go to your room.”_

_Taehyun nodded, blinking back his tears. He and Beomgyu were about to start climbing the stairs when Taehyun felt something wash over him, and his subconsciousness washed away. He looked at Beomgyu and felt the sudden urge to kiss him._

_And that’s what he did._

_Taehyun cupped Beomgyu’s cheeks and slammed their lips together. Beomgyu’s eyes widened, and he tried pulling Taehyun away, but Taehyun would only kiss him again. Eventually, Beomgyu gave in, kissed Taehyun back, and that’s how they ended up in the room._

“O-oh my god, m-master, I am so s-sorry-”

“Stop,” Beomgyu orders, holding up his hand. Taehyun immediately stops talking, biting down harshly on his bottom lip. “What we did…last night was obviously a mistake, slave. I’m married, and I’m a father. I can’t do that to my family.”

“I-I understand, master,” Taehyun mutters. “I-I’m sorry.” He looks down at his lap, feeling guilt wash over him. But then he quickly realizes something, and he looks at Beomgyu nervously. “A-are you going to kick me out?”

“No,” he sighs. “I should, but I won’t. Jisoo and the twins like you too much to let me do that.”

Taehyun accidentally sighs in relief out loud, and his eyes widen when he realizes what he did. “O-oh my god. I-I didn’t mean-”

“It’s fine, slave,” Beomgyu interrupts. “Anyway, last night was just a mistake, okay? A _drunken_ mistake. We were under the influence of alcohol, and that was stupid. Not a _mention_ of this to Jisoo or the twins. Got it?”

Taehyun nods, feeling his heart break. “Y-yes, master.”

“Good,” Beomgyu says. “And we can never do that again. You pull a move on me like that again, slave, and I will personally order someone to kill you.”

What Beomgyu is saying is not only a threat but the truth. Masters have the ability and right to do anything to their slaves, except do anything to them sexually without their consent. It is common for masters ordering to have their slaves executed. They just have to sign a few papers and say why they’re demanding their slave to be executed. The only way slaves are executed is by getting hanged in the middle of the city, in front of everyone.

Taehyun gulps at the thought of having a rope around his neck choking him to death.

“I…I understand, master,” he mutters. “I-I’m sorry, and I promise I will never pull anything like that ever again, master.”

“Good,” Beomgyu says. “You can leave now. That’s all I had to say.”

Taehyun nods, and he gets off from the chair. He bows to Beomgyu, before leaving the older’s office with a heavy heart.


	11. Business Trip

Taehyun walks out of Beomgyu’s office, closing the door softly behind him. He starts feeling tears burning in his eyes, threatening to fall down his face, but he quickly blinks them back when he hears footsteps. He wipes his eyes and nose with his sleeve and looks up to see who’s coming his way.

It’s Jisoo.

“Were you in Beomgyu’s office?” she asks.

“U-um, yeah,” Taehyun replies. “He just…wanted to congratulate me for setting up everything at the dinner party.”

Jisoo nods. “But why did he want you to come to his office? Weren’t you washing the dishes downstairs?”

“I-I was, but I finished them, before coming up here,” Taehyun explains. “M-may I do anything for you, noona?”

“I’m fine, thanks,” Jisoo answers. She looks at Taehyun’s face, noticing how he is purposely averting eye contact. His eyes seem a bit puffy as well, and she notices him biting his lower lip. “You okay, Tae?”

“W-why do you ask that?” he questions.

“I’m just wondering,” Jisoo mutters. “Are you?”

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun lies. “I-if you don’t mind, noona, I’m going to go to my room. I’ll clean up everything later.”

“Okay,” Jisoo says.

Taehyun just nods, before he turns, and starts walking toward his room. Jisoo stares after Taehyun and sighs when the brown-haired male closes the door to his bedroom behind him. Jisoo looks at the door of Beomgyu’s office and realizes there is something definitely bugging Taehyun that has to with Beomgyu. But for now, Jisoo is too busy to have _another_ talk with her husband. 

“God damn it, Choi,” she grumbles under her breath as she starts walking down the stairs.

-

Once Taehyun is inside his room, he lets out a sigh of relief. Jisoo didn’t suspect anything, or else she would’ve bugged Taehyun about it. Taehyun leans back against his door and looks at the ceiling. He feels tears burning in his eyes again, and this time he lets them fall. His bottom lip starts quivering, and he quickly goes to his bed to cover his mouth, before he lets out a loud sob.

Realizing the others can still hear him even with a pillow muffling the sounds, Taehyun gets up to go to the bathroom and turns on the shower. Water starts pouring down in the space it's in, and Taehyun gets inside fully clothed. He sits down on the floor, hugs his knees to chest, and lets the cold water hit and drench him as he begins sobbing, his body shaking as he sobs.

\--

Believe it or not, the next seven weeks, a month and three weeks, Beomgyu and Taehyun barely say a word to each other. The only words they do say to each other is when Beomgyu orders Taehyun to go get him something, and when Taehyun says ‘yes, master’ or ‘no, master.’ Besides that, the two barely say a word to each other, and make sure to avoid the other at all costs, even if they’re alone.

 _Especially_ if they’re alone.

If Jisoo and the twins notice Beomgyu’s and Taehyun’s silent treatment toward each other, they don’t say anything. Taehyun is sure Jisoo probably notices something, since, duh, she isn’t stupid, but maybe she doesn’t want to ask. She notices how Beomgyu and Taehyun make it obvious they don’t want to be together, so she makes sure to do it herself if she wants Taehyun to go do something that has to do with Beomgyu.

Taehyun’s feelings of the older have gone away a bit. Taehyun still thinks Beomgyu is hot and everything, but his romantic feelings sort of washed away. Beomgyu made it clear nothing will ever happen between them, and if it does, Taehyun will end up dead. Past Taehyun would do anything to get with Beomgyu if he had the chance, but present Taehyun won’t anymore. 

Anyway, the authority still hasn’t gone by the Chois’ house, even though they are supposed to once a month. It’s been around two months since Taehyun became the Chois’ new slave, but no type of authority has come around yet. Which is a good and bad thing, because Taehyun has stopped using his rags, and has started wearing normal clothes. Of course, they’re not fancy, but casual clothes, like hoodies and sweats. 

Taehyun’s relationship with Jisoo is still the same—they’re still best friends, and Taehyun hopes Jisoo never finds about his and Beomgyu’s affair. That would hurt her like a pile of rocks, and Taehyun loves her too much now to let that happen. He always avoids the topic of Beomgyu around them and only lets Jisoo mention his name for work-related things.

Speaking of best friends, Taehyun has gotten to know Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa better. Whenever Taehyun and the other four have a day off, they meet up, go to the mall, or go shopping. They don’t always go to the mall or shop, since they sometimes go to Jennie’s and Lisa’s or Rosé’s mansion. Theirs is equally as fancy as Jisoo’s, but the raven-haired female is richer out of all of them. Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa have slowly become Taehyun’s new best friends, and he’s glad because he enjoys hanging out with them.

Currently, Taehyun is cleaning his room, even though he barely cleaned it yesterday. He’s making his bed just now when he hears a knock at the door. He huffs and places the bedsheet on the bed before he walks toward the door to see who knocked.

Beomgyu.

“M-master,” Taehyun says, breathless and surprised.

“Jisoo wants us to go downstairs.” Beomgyu gets straight to the point. “She has something to say.”

Taehyun nods. “O-okay.” 

Beomgyu doesn’t say anything else before he walks away. Taehyun makes sure Beomgyu has disappeared from his eyesight, and leaves his room, closing the door behind him. He walks down the stairs after Beomgyu, seeing Jisoo and the twins in the kitchen, making cookies, even though it’s around eighty degrees outside, despite it being dark outside.

“You called, Jisoo?” Beomgyu says.

“Daddy, look what I made!” Yoonah says excitedly before her mom can reply. Yoonah holds up a glob of chocolate chip cookie dough that is formed into a shape of a…chair? “I made a heart-shaped cookie!”

“Wow, that looks so cool, angel,” Beomgyu says. “Jisoo?”

“Would you and Tae like some cookies?” she offers. “We worked hard on them.”

Beomgyu sighs, and rubs his temples. “Is that it? Jisoo, I have a lot of work to do-”

“Fine, fine,” she chuckles. Jisoo turns toward the twins and crouches down to their height. “Twins, can you go to the living room for a bit? Mommy, daddy, and Taehyun-ah need to talk.”

“Aww, but what about the cookies, momma?” Yeona whines.

“They’re in the oven, angel,” Jisoo reminds. “They’ll be ready soon.”

“Fine,” Yoonah sigh in defeat, before she and her twin walk toward the living room.

“What do you want to talk about, noona?” Taehyun asks, making sure to distance himself away from Beomgyu.

“I won’t be here for two months,” Jisoo informs. “I have a business trip to go on, and I’m not even sure if I’ll stay there for two months for sure. Maybe more.”

“Oh,” Beomgyu says. “Where are you going?”

“All around North America, Japan, China, Australia, Taiwan, and Thailand,” Jisoo replies. “I’ll stay at least a few weeks at each place, but I don’t know for how long yet.”

Taehyun nods. “So you’ll return in June?”

“The twins’ birthday is in June,” Beomgyu realizes. “Are you going to be back before that?”

“Their birthday is in the first week of June, so I don’t think so,” Jisoo frowns. “But I’ll try. Are you two okay with taking care of the twins by yourselves?”

At those words, Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen as he realizes he and Beomgyu are going to be alone with the twins for more than two months, probably more. Are they even going to survive? Is _Taehyun_ even going to survive being a month alone with Beomgyu? Taehyun doesn’t think so, but it’s not like he can say anything about it, or Jisoo will get concerned, and cancel her probably very important business trip.

“I think we’ll be okay,” Beomgyu finally speaks up. “Right, slave?”

Taehyun is surprised Beomgyu spoke to him, and glances at him quickly, before looking back at Jisoo. “Y-yeah. We’ll be okay, noona.”

“You guys sure?” she asks. “I’ve noticed you two haven’t been on the best terms with each other lately.”

Beomgyu shrugs. “We haven’t, but we’re not going to freaking _kill_ each other, Jisoo.”

“Fine,” she sighs in defeat.

“When will you be leaving, noona?” Taehyun asks.

“Tomorrow,” Jisoo replies. “I have to get up early, so, Tae, can you wake me up?”

“Of course,” he assures. “What time?”

“Four,” Jisoo sighs.

“Shouldn’t you go to sleep now, then?” Taehyun says pointedly.

Jisoo checks her watch, checking the time; ten-fifteen p.m. “Ugh, I should, but I still have a lot of things to do. Besides, the twins want _me_ specifically to tuck them into bed, and they’ve made it pretty clear they don’t want anyone else.”

“I’ll take care of them,” Beomgyu steps in. “They’re my daughters, too, you know.”

“You know how they are, dear,” Jisoo reminds. “I’ll just go to sleep later.”

“W-well, maybe if I join m-master, they’ll probably want t-to,” Taehyun speaks up. “I-if you want.”

“Really?” A wave of relief washes over Jisoo. “ _Thank_ you, Taehyun. I’ll pay you back somehow.”

Taehyun nods with a small smile starting to form on his face. “Go to sleep now, noona. I’ll wake you up at four.”

“I still have work stuff to do, though,” Jisoo says. Before Beomgyu or Taehyun can say anything, Jisoo adds, “Ah, fuck it. I can do it on the plane. Goodnight, you two.”

“Goodnight,” Beomgyu and Taehyun return in unison. When Taehyun realizes they spoke at the same time, his eyes widen, and he feels his face oddly starting to heat up. He looks away, and a voice he hasn’t heard in a while that’s in his head says _Soulmates_.

Jisoo smiles at Beomgyu and Taehyun, pecks Beomgyu on the lips before she walks out of the kitchen. Beomgyu and Taehyun hear her footsteps starting to walk up the stairs, and the door of hers and Beomgyu’s bedroom closes soon. The two then just stay in silence for what seems like hours until Beomgyu sighs, and walks out of the kitchen to go to the living room. Taehyun stays in the kitchen, since he remembers about the cookies, and checks the oven. The cookies are done, so he grabs a mitten, pulls it on, and takes the cookies out. He lets them start cooling on the counter before he walks out of the kitchen to join the twins and…Beomgyu.

When he arrives, Taehyun sees and hears the silver-haired male talking to the twins and the twins giggling and laughing. Taehyun smiles at the scene, suddenly starting to think how perfect of a father Beomgyu is. 

_What if_ you two _made a baby? That’d be pretty nice, wouldn’t it?_

Taehyun shakes his head immediately, not believing he thought of that, especially for the first time in two months. He sighs and waits for Beomgyu to stop talking, so he can.

“Th-the cookies are ready, everyone,” Taehyun announces.

“How do you know, Taehyun-ah?” Yoonah demands, narrowing her eyes at Taehyun.

“I checked,” he chuckles. “Are you guys coming, or should I eat them myself?”

“No!” Yeona exclaims as she quickly slides down from the couch, and runs toward the kitchen. Yoonah runs behind her twin, and the two enter the kitchen. Beomgyu and Taehyun are now left alone once again.

Taehyun tries to avert eye contact, but he feels Beomgyu’s eyes on him, and it bugs him. He finally looks up but sees that Beomgyu isn’t even looking at him. Taehyun shakes his head and walks back inside the kitchen. He doesn’t notice anything at first until he sees the twins’ hand reaching for the _very_ hot pan that holds the cookies.

“No, twins, don’t touch that!” Taehyun yells, feeling his heart drop in panic.

Thankfully, the twins’ hands stop an inch from the pan. “Why not?”

“The pan is hot,” Taehyun says. “You’ll burn yourself if you touch it.”

“That sounds like fun!” Yoonah says excitedly. “Can I touch it, Taehyun-ah?”

“No,” he immediately replies. “The cookies will cool soon.”

“Aw, that’s boring,” Yeona whines.

“How about we get some milk?” Beomgyu, who’s barely walking inside the kitchen, suggests. “We can drink it, and watch _Bubble Guppies_ , whilst we wait.”

“That sounds like a great idea!” Yoonah squeals.

“Okay, but inside voices,” Taehyun warns softly. He had learned a few weeks ago that using ‘inside voices’ will quieten down the twins way better and faster than ‘quieten down’, or ‘please lower your voice.’ “Your mommy’s sleeping.”

“Aw, I want to sleep with mommy,” Yeona frowns.

“You can sleep with us later,” Beomgyu assures. “For now, let’s get some milk, and watch _Bubble Guppies_ , okay?”

“Okay, daddy,” the twins reply in unison, thankfully not saying it too loudly.

“Come on, let’s get milk, then,” Beomgyu says. The twins nod, and the three walk toward the fridge to take out the milk. Beomgyu takes out a glass for him, and the twins’ sippy cups that are Minion themed. He serves the milk in the cups, before putting the gallon back in the fridge, and closing it. “Ready to go, twins?”

“I was born ready,” Yoonah says before she starts running toward the kitchen.

One of the things Taehyun learned about the twins is that they like to run. A lot.

He wishes he had that type of energy.

“Be careful, twins!” Beomgyu calls out as he walks behind them, leaving Taehyun alone in the kitchen.

Once Beomgyu is completely gone, Taehyun sighs. Beomgyu completely avoided eye contact with him and didn’t even say a word to him. Which is understandable, since Taehyun would’ve done the same thing. Taehyun sighs again and turns around to check on the cookies. He hovers his hand above them to see how hot they are and realizes they’ve cooled down a bit.

“Finally,” he mutters. Taehyun opens a cupboard and takes out three plates. He places five in his and Beomgyu’s, and four in the twins’. He walks out with the plates and sees the other three indeed watching _Bubble Guppies_ on the TV. “Th-the cookies are ready.”

Yoonah and Yeona look up, a milk mustache around their mouth. Their eyes light up once they see the plates Taehyun is carrying, and quickly get up to go get them. 

“Twins, be careful-”

Beomgyu is too late, since the little girls bump into Taehyun’s legs, making him stumble, which makes him end up letting go of the plates. All three of them fall to the floor, crashing into pieces. The cookies fall as well, and Taehyun hisses as he feels a shard dig into his heel.

“Ow,” he hisses quietly, feeling something warm starting to run down his foot.

“Twins, look what you did now,” Beomgyu scolds as he gets up to go help Taehyun.

“We’re sorry, Taehyun-ah,” the twins apologize in unison, frowning as they bow their heads.

“Go up to your room, twins,” Beomgyu orders. “I’ll be there soon.”

The twins frown and they bow again to Taehyun before they go do what their father told them. Noticing Beomgyu coming his way, Taehyun kneels, and carefully starts picking the shards up. Once slightly cuts his finger, but it doesn’t hurt as much as his heel does. However, he forgets about the pain when he notices Beomgyu kneeling in front of him, and starting to pick up the shards as well.

“M-master, what are you d-doing?” Taehyun asks.

“What does it look like I’m doing, slave?” Beomgyu retorts. “Are there still cookies left?”

“N-no,” Taehyun mutters. “I-I’m sorry, m-master. I-I can make more-”

“It’s fine, slave,” Beomgyu sighs. “Give me what you have in your hands.”

“M-master, I can do it m-myself-”

“Give me it,” Beomgyu demands. Taehyun sighs in defeat, and he hands over the shards and cookies he has in his hands to Beomgyu. The older takes them and walks into the kitchen to throw them away. When he comes back, he’s surprised Taehyun is still kneeling. “Slave? Why aren’t you getting up?”

“R-right,” he mumbles. The truth is, Taehyun’s heel hurts too much for him to get up. He was hoping Beomgyu would leave, so he can deal with it by himself, but Beomgyu is still here. Taehyun tries standing up, but once he puts pressure on his heel, he hisses and bites his bottom lip.

Beomgyu seems to notice, and he heads toward Taehyun. “Did you cut yourself?”

“Y-yeah,” he admits. “I-I’ll be fine, though, master.”

“Let me see,” Beomgyu says. Taehyun knows better than to deny, so he lets Beomgyu inspect his foot. Beomgyu immediately sees the glass digging in Taehyun’s heel, and the blood oozing out of the wound. Beomgyu curses under his breath and gets up. “I’m going to get a napkin. Stay here.”

Taehyun just nods. It’s not like he can stand up, anyway. Beomgyu walks into the kitchen and comes back a few seconds later with a large piece of paper towel. He kneels in front of Taehyun, and wraps the piece around the younger’s heel, tying it. 

“Th-thank you, master,” he says. “I-I still need to clean up the blood, though.”

“I’ll do it,” Beomgyu assures. “You can’t walk, right?”

Taehyun shakes his head. “N-no, master. It hurts.”

“Okay, wait here,” Beomgyu says before he goes back into the kitchen. When he comes back, he’s holding three pieces of paper towel, a broom, and the dustpan.

Beomgyu surprises Taehyun by cleaning the pool of blood Taehyun left, sweeping up the small pieces of glass, and cookie crumbs that were left behind. He goes back into the kitchen, before coming back a few seconds later.

“Th-thank you, master,” Taehyun repeats. “Y-you didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes I did,” Beomgyu says pointedly. “You can’t, and I’m the only one here beside you.” Taehyun just nods. He expects Beomgyu to then walk away, but he surprises Taehyun by walking over toward him, and hooking his arms behind his back and knees, picking him up bridal style. At Taehyun’s surprise and red face, Beomgyu says, “You said you couldn’t walk, right?”

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun mutters.

“I think we have a medical kit in the bathroom,” Beomgyu muses. “I’ll clean and patch up your heel. Is that okay?” Taehyun nods, too shy and surprised to say a word. They soon arrive in the bathroom, and Beomgyu places Taehyun on the toilet seat. Beomgyu rummages through the cupboard the bathroom has, before taking out a medical kit. He opens it and kneels in front of Taehyun to start working on his heel. He pours alcohol into a cotton ball and unwraps the paper towel around Taehyun’s heel. “This is going to sting, and probably hurt a lot. Is that okay?”

“I-it’s fine, master,” he assures nervously. “Just please…hurry.”

Beomgyu nods, and he hesitates, before pressing the cotton ball against Taehyun’s heel. Taehyun immediately hisses, biting his lower lip to keep himself from cursing. Beomgyu mutters a ‘sorry’, before continuing to work on Taehyun’s heel. Around five minutes later, it is all patched and wrapped up, and he feels it hurt a bit less.

“Is that better?” Beomgyu asks.

“Yes, master,” Taehyun replies with a small smile. “Thank you.”

Beomgyu nods. “Let’s go to your room now.” Beomgyu picks Taehyun up bridal style again, and Taehyun wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck this time. They soon arrive at Taehyun’s room a few seconds later, and Beomgyu places Taehyun on his bed. “Goodnight, slave.”

“G-goodnight, master,” he returns. “Th-thank you again.”

Beomgyu nods, and he smiles at Taehyun, before leaving the younger’s room, leaving him with a red face, and a small smile on his face. 


	12. Gone

The next morning, Taehyun sleeps in. It’s a bit of a surprise since the pain in his heel should’ve woken him up constantly, but he sleeps in. He would’ve slept until twelve if it weren’t for the constant knocking at his door. At first, he thought it was just his imagination, and he was just sleep-deprived, but the knocks kept coming, which starts to annoy him.

“W-who is it?” he calls out sleepily.

“Us!” Yoonah and Yeoan reply in unison.

“T-twins?” Taehyun is surprised, to say the least. “W-what are you doing here?”

“Daddy says we have to ask, so can we come in?” Yoonah asks, instead of answering Taehyun’s question.

“U-uh, sure,” he allows.

The door to Taehyun’s room soon opens, and the twins with Yeona’s arm still hanging from opening the doorknob appear. They’re still dressed in their unicorn and mermaid-themed pajamas, so they barely got up around an hour ago. They have huge smiles on their faces, and immediately pad their naked feet to the side of Taehyun’s face, where his face is.

“Hi, Taehyun-ah!” Yeona greets, waving enthusiastically. “Morning!”

“M-morning,” Taehyun returns. “W-what are you two doing up?”

“We made you breakfast!” Yoonah informs.

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen at that. “R-really?”

“Well, daddy helped us with most of it, but yeah!” Yeona says, a bit sheepishly. “We made you your favorite breakfast, too!”

“H-how do you know what my favorite breakfast is?” Taehyun questions. He didn’t think the twins would pay attention to stuff like that.

“Because daddy knows!” Yoonah answers. “He’s really smart. I wish I could be as smart as him.”

Taehyun chuckles, knowing in reality, Beomgyu isn’t _that_ smart. But on the other hand, Taehyun’s surprised (and mostly flattered) that Beomgyu knows what Taehyun’s breakfast is. His heart warms at that, and he feels a smile start growing on his face.

“Taehyun-ah, why are you smiling?” Yeona asks. “What are you happy about?”

“N-nothing,” Taehyun replies. “W-why did you guys make me breakfast, though?”

“We…felt bad about what happened last night, Taehyun-ah,” Yoonah says guiltily, “so we wanted to apologize by making you breakfast in bed.”

“Especially since you can’t walk that well,” Yeona adds.

“We’re sorry again, Taehyun-ah!” the twins apologize in unison, bowing.

Taehyun lets out a small smile. “It’s okay, twins. Just be more careful next time, okay?”

“We promise!” the twins say in unison, saluting.

“We’ll be back with your breakfast, Taehyun-ah,” Yoonah says. “Stay in bed.”

“I will,” Taehyun assures.

Yoonah and Yeona stare at Taehyun suspiciously, before they run out of his room. Taehyun sighs, and lays back down. He looks up at the ceiling and then realizes the sun is out.

 _The sun is_ out _._

Taehyun’s eyes widen, and he quickly sits up, looking at the clock on his wall; 9:31 in the morning. Taehyun’s mouth drops, and he quickly swings his legs to the side of his bed and gets up by putting pressure on the foot that isn’t injured. He jumps to his door and jumps out of his room. He feels himself starting to lose balance, and start falling to the floor, but luckily, he’s saved when someone wraps their arm around his slim waist from behind, preventing him from falling.

“What are you doing up, slave?” 

Beomgyu.

“I-I need to wake J-Jisoo-noona,” Taehyun says, a bit nervously. “Sh-she told me-”

“Slave, isn’t it a bit too late for that?” Beomgyu says pointedly. “It’s about to be ten, and Jisoo needed to be woken up almost six hours ago.”

“I-is she still awake?” Taehyun asks quietly, not getting what Beomgyu is hinting at.

Beomgyu sighs. “No, slave. She already left hours ago.”

“W-who woke her up?” Taehyun says.

Beomgyu rolls his eyes. “How dumb can you be, slave? I obviously did it. Even if you _did_ get up in time, I still wouldn’t have let you because of your heel. You can’t do anything because of it, remember?”

“I-is that why you suggested to make me breakfast in bed?” Taehyun hesitantly questions.

Beomgyu quietly curses the twins under his breath. “Yes, but only because of that. Now, let me put these plates down, and I’ll carry you to your bed.”

“M-master, you don’t have to do that-”

“Yes I do,” Beomgyu interrupts. “I’m your master, after all. We’re supposed to take care of our slaves.”

Taehyun bets the old Beomgyu would rather die than ever say these words to Taehyun, his _slave_ , yet here he is. It warms Taehyun’s heart, and even gives him butterflies in his stomach.

And the romantic feelings Taehyun lost for Beomgyu are instantly back.

Beomgyu comes back into the hallway after placing the two plates he had on Taehyun’s nightstand, coming back to him. Beomgyu hooks his arms underneath the brown-haired male’s back and knees again, picking him up bridal style. Taehyun’s arms immediately wrap themselves around Beomgyu’s neck, as if on instinct. Beomgyu doesn’t seem to mind, and he carries Taehyun back inside his room and places him on his bed.

“Lay down, but sit up, so you can eat,” Beomgyu orders. “We’ll be back with the rest of your food.”

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen. “Th-there’s more?”

“Duh,” Beomgyu replies as if it isn’t obvious before he walks out of Taehyun’s room.

Taehyun smiles and does what Beomgyu told him to do. He looks at the two plates next to them and sees that one is full of Taehyun’s favorite cereal, Fruit Loops, and the other is cut fruit. To say he’s surprised that Beomgyu knows these and a few more other plates are Taehyun’s favorite breakfast food is understandable. Taehyun thought Beomgyu never paid attention to him, but accordingly, he does. Taehyun smiles and slightly blushes at the thought.

“Taehyun-ah, we’re back!” Yoonah squeals as she, Yeona, and Beomgyu walk carefully with the rest of the plates.

“Hi, everyone,” Taehyun greets. He watches as the twins and their father place the plates on the nightstand next to Taehyun, and he hears his stomach grumble at the sight of his food. “Thank you.”

“Thank daddy!” Yeona says. “He made most of everything!”

“I-I didn’t know you could cook, master,” Taehyun says, having enough courage to look at Beomgyu.

The silver-haired male shrugs. “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, slave,” he says smoothly. “Twins, apologize to Taehyun again, before going to change, and start getting ready for school.”

“Aww, school sucks!” Yoonah whines.

“Can’t we stay to accompany Taehyun-ah?” Yeona asks pleadingly.

“No,” Beomgyu denies. “You guys already missed two days of school, and it’s a punishment for what you guys did last night.”

“Aww, please, daddy?” Yoonah begs. “You can punish us with something else. We just really want to stay with Taehyun-ah!”

“Yeah, please, daddy?” Yeona adds, and she and Yoonah hug Beomgyu’s legs, looking up at him with puppy eyes, and their lips formed into a pout. 

Beomgyu is known for being cold-hearted, and not that easy to give in, but he has a weak and soft spot for his girls. So, with a sigh, he nods. “Fine. But only if Taehyun says it’s okay.”

“T-Taehyun-ah?” Yoonah says, a bit hopefully.

“Of course,” Taehyun allows. “The more the merrier, right?”

Yeona squeals. “Thanks, Taehyun-ah! You’re the best!”

Taehyun smiles. “Of course, twins.”

Beomgyu sighs, shaking his head. “Since you guys agreed to have another punishment, you two won’t have any privileges to go out for a week, and instead of watching cartoons after your homework, you have to read, understood?”

“Yes, sir!” the twins reply in unison, saluting.

“Did you guys eat breakfast already?” Taehyun asks, looking at the twins and Beomgyu.

“The twins did,” he replies. 

“Can we eat breakfast again, so Taehyun-ah won’t be lonely, daddy?” Yoonah says.

“Sure,” Beomgyu sighs in defeat. “Let’s go downstairs, then.”

The twins nod, and they turn to Taehyun. “We’ll be back, Taehyun-ah!”

The brunette nods with a smile, and the other three walk out of Taehyun’s room. Taehyun sighs, and he looks around for the TV remote. He hopes he didn’t leave it somewhere else besides his nightstand the other day, and thankfully finds it in one of his drawers. He takes it out and turns the TV on. Knowing the twins, Taehyun flips through the channels until he lands on the Nick Jr. channel, relieved to see that _Team UmiZoomi_ is on. He leaves the TV on that channel and waits until the twins and Beomgyu come back.

They do a few minutes later, Beomgyu holding the twins’ bowls of cereal. 

“We’re back, Taehyun-ah!” Yeona says excitedly. 

Yoonah gasps dramatically after. “Look, daddy! _Team UmiZoomi_ is on!”

“Wow,” Beomgyu says, placing the bowls down on the nightstand. “Slave, are you going to be able to take care of the twins?”

Taehyun nods. “Yes, master. If anything happens, I’ll call for you.”

Beomgyu nods this time. He turns to the twins. “You two be good, okay? Listen to whatever Taehyun tells you to, or there’ll be more grounding for you two.”

“Okay, daddy!” the twins reply in unison. 

“We’ll be good,” Yeona promises.

Beomgyu stares at them, before he looks back at Taehyun. The two hold eye contact for a few moments, neither of them daring to look away, even though Taehyun wants to. Finally, Beomgyu does and starts heading out of the room.

“Behave well, angels,” he calls out. 

“We will, daddy!” 

Once Beomgyu is gone, Yoonah and Yeona turn toward Taehyun’s bed, walking toward where his face is.

“Taehyun-ah, can we lay on your bed with you?” Yoonah asks.

Taehyun nods, and the twins get on the bed with a bit of difficulty. Taehyun can’t really do anything, except watch, and hold back a laugh. The twins eventually get on the bed, and they cuddle on either side of Taehyun. The three grab their plates and then start watching _Team UmiZoomi_.

\--

Throughout the rest of the day, Taehyun spends it in his bed. He mostly spends his time with the twins, and Beomgyu lets them be with Taehyun since he’s seen how the brunette looks at them with pure adoration and cares for them deeply. Speaking of Beomgyu, the male mostly spends his time in his office working, but occasionally gets up to go to the bathroom, grab a snack or a cup of water, or check on Taehyun and the twins. He only glances at them, and they don’t even notice him, too busy watching the TV.

Surprisingly, Beomgyu smiles at the scene of the three of them cuddled up against each other, finding it cute. He returns to his office and closes the door behind him. As he sits back down on his chair, he hears his phone start ringing, and he grabs it to see who’s calling him.

Yeonjun.

Surprised, Beomgyu grabs his phone and answers the call. “Hello?”

“Hey, Beom,” Yeonjun greets. “Are you busy right now?”

“Um, I’m working, but it’s okay,” Beomgyu assures. “What’s up?”

“Are you all home right now?” Yeonjun asks.

“Well, Jisoo’s on a business trip, but besides that, we’re all home,” Beomgyu replies. “Why?”

“Well, it’s been, like, two months since we’ve seen and called each other,” Yeonjun says, which is true. The last time Beomgyu and Taehyun saw Soobin, Yeonjun, and Byeol was back when they had the brunch, and they never spoke or visited each other again. They didn’t even visit Byeol when she was at the hospital, but the other Chois did the same thing when Yoonah was in the hospital. “Soobin and I have been wondering if you guys would like to go away on a vacation or something for a while.”

“Well, Jisoo isn’t home, hyung, so I don’t think so,” Beomgyu says.

“When will she be back?” Yeonjun questions.

“We’re not sure yet, but she said after two months,” Beomgyu says.

“Well, by the time it’s June, all the reservations are going to be filled up, because of all the water festivals,” Yeonjun says pointedly. “Right now is a good time to schedule a reservation to go.”

“I don’t know, hyung,” Beomgyu says. “I’ll have to see with Jisoo first-” Speaking of the devil, Beomgyu’s phone starts beeping, indicating someone else is calling him. And it’s Jisoo’s name that pops up on the caller ID. “D-don’t hang up, hyung. Jisoo is calling me.”

“Okay,” Yeonjun says. “Ask her, please.”

“Okay,” Beomgyu says before he answers Jisoo’s call. “Hello?”

“Hi, dear,” she says. “Are you busy right now?”

“Not really,” Beomgyu replies. “Are you?”

“No, silly,” Jisoo giggles. “What are you doing?”

“Work,” Beomgyu sighs. “What are _you_ doing?”

“I’m barely checking into the hotel,” Jisoo informs. “I’m tired.”

“You should sleep, dear,” Beomgyu suggests. “You had a long flight.”

“I know, but I just wanted to call you first,” Jisoo says. “How are the twins?”

“They’re fine,” Beomgyu assures. “They’ve been hanging out with Taehyun all day.”

“That sounds nice,” Jisoo comments. “How is he doing, by the way?”

“He’s doing fine,” Beomgyu assures. 

“Does his heel still hurt?” Jisoo asks. Beomgyu had told her about Taehyun's heel before she left for her flight. “If it does, you might need to take him to the doctor to see if anything’s infected.”

“I’m sure the pain has gone away a bit, dear,” Beomgyu says. “Why did you call?”

“To check up on you guys,” Jisoo replies. “Everything’s okay, right?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu says. “You have nothing to worry about, dear.”

Jisoo smiles. “Yeah, I know, but I still get worried.”

“I know, dear, it’s okay,” Beomgyu chuckles. He then remembers about Yeonjun, and what the older told Beomgyu. “By the way, do you know when you’re coming back now?”

“No,” Jisoo sighs. “They haven’t told me yet. Why?”

“Well, Yeonjun-hyung just called me,” Beomgyu starts.

“Really?” Jisoo sounds surprised. “What did he say?”

“He asked if we wanted to go on a vacation with them soon,” Beomgyu continues. “I said I didn’t know, since you’re not here, and that I’ll ask you, and that’s when you called.”

“What a coincidence,” Jisoo chuckles. “Are you going to tell him yes?”

“No, since you’re not here,” Beomgyu says. 

“Go,” Jisoo counters. “It’ll be fun, and it’ll be nice for you to get a break from work. You’ve been working a lot. You need the break.”

“Yeah, but I can’t just leave all the workers alone,” Beomgyu reminds.

“Send them to the slave headquarters,” Jisoo suggests. “You’ll pick them up after the vacation finishes.”

“What about…Taehyun?” Beomgyu slowly asks, wondering why he’s even asking.

“Take him with you,” Jisoo replies. “He also needs the break.”

“Alright,” Beomgyu mutters. “So, do I tell Yeonjun-hyung we’re going?”

“Yeah,” Jisoo says. “You guys have fun over there, okay? Send me pictures, too.”

Beomgyu lets out a small laugh. “Will do, dear.”

“Hm, okay,” Jisoo says, before yawning. “Oh, god, I’m tired. I think I might go to sleep now, dear.”

“Okay, dear,” Beomgyu says. “Sleep well. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” Jisoo returns. “Say hi to the twins and Taehyun for me.”

“Will do,” Beomgyu assures. “Goodnight, dear.”

“Hmm, goodnight.”

Their call soon ends, and Beomgyu sighs before he returns to his and Yeonjun’s call to tell Yeonjun the news.


	13. News

“Oh, thank god you guys can go,” Yeonjun says as soon as Beomgyu finishes telling him the news. 

“Yeah,” Beomgyu chuckles. “Why do you sound so relieved, though?”

“Well, because we haven’t seen each other in ages,” Yeonjun reminds. “But, to tell the truth, we accidentally bought four extra tickets, because we thought Soobin’s parents and his siblings were going to as well, but they canceled last minute. We can’t refund the tickets, so we thought of you guys first.”

“Oh, well, we can go,” Beomgyu says. “What type of vacation is it?”

“A beach house in Singapore,” Yeonjun informs. “The plane trip and everything is paid for, and it’s a bonus since it’s during the girls’ spring break.”

“So next week?” Beomgyu asks as he checks his calendar.

“Yeah,” Yeonjun confirms. 

“For how long?”

“The whole week,” Yeonjun says. “We can even stay more if we want to. It’s paid for the whole month.”

“Hm, okay,” Beomgyu says. “Well, I’ll talk with the twins and…Taehyun about it first, and I’ll call you back to say our final decision.”

“Okay,” Yeonjun says. “Talk to you later, then.”

“Bye, hyung,” Beomgyu returns, before he and Yeonjun end their call.

Beomgyu sighs, and he places his phone down on the desk. He looks at the screen of his MacBook, seeing all the blank space on the document he still has to fill out. With a sigh, Beomgyu decides to fill out the document first, before getting up to go tell the twins and Taehyun the news about their new vacation with Yeonjun and the rest.

\--

“Taehyun-ah, what does ‘whore’ mean?”

Taehyun almost spits out the sip of water he took, staring at Yoonah, who asked the question, in shock.

“W-what did you say, Yoo?” he asks.

“Yoo asked what does ‘whore’ mean,” Yeona says for her twin. “What _does_ it mean, Taehyun-ah?”

“W-where did you guys learn the word?” he says nervously. _Beomgyu’s going to_ kill _me if he finds out the twins learned that word because of me._

Yoonah points to the TV, and Taehyun looks at it, noticing that an episode of _Friends_ is currently playing. “The one with blonde hair said it.”

“God damn it, Phoebe,” Taehyun curses under his breath.

“What does ‘whore’ mean, Taehyun-ah?” Yeona repeats, tilting her head in confusion.

“Whore is…” Taehyun racks his brain to see how he can explain in the best way what the word ‘whore’ means to two five-year-olds. It shouldn’t be that hard, right? “W-whore is someone whom…gets paid to play with other people.”

Yoonah’s eyes light up. “I wanna be a whore!”

“Me, too!” Yeona agrees.

Taehyun quickly shakes his head. “No. You guys should _never_ be whores, okay? It’s…bad for you.”

“Why do you say that, Taehyun-ah?” Yoonah asks.

“The people you play with won’t care about you, so you’ll get hurt,” Taehyun explains. “A-anyway, why don’t we watch something else?” _Before your daddy comes by again_ is what Taehyun wants to add, but he keeps his mouth shut.

“Okay!” Yeona agrees, laying back down against Taehyun’s arm.

Taehyun smiles nervously, and he grabs the TV remote control. He flips through the channels, seeing which one is kid-friendly when the three suddenly hear a knock at the door.

“Who is it?” Yoonah calls out before Taehyun can.

“Me.” It’s Beomgyu. “May I come in?”

“Daddy!” Yeona squeals as she gets off the bed to open the door for Beomgyu. Once the door is open, the silver-haired male smiles down at Yeona and picks her up into his arms.

“Hi, angel,” he greets. 

“Daddy!” Yeona squeals again, wrapping her small arms around Beomgyu’s neck. “Daddy, Taehyun-ah taught Yoo and I a new word!”

Beomgyu’s eyes slightly widen. “Oh, really? What word did he teach you two?”

Before Yeona can unintentionally rat out Taehyun, the brown-haired male is quick to speak up: “H-hey, master! W-what are you doing here?”

“Oh, right.” Beomgyu had forgotten why he originally came by Taehyun’s room because of Yeona and her commotion. He places her down, and she runs toward Taehyun’s bed, getting on it again with less difficulty this time. “Around an hour ago, Yeonjun-hyung called me-”

“Yeonjun-Oppa?” Yoonah interrupts. “Ooh, what did he say?!”

“He asked if we all wanted to go with him, Soobin-Oppa, and Byeol on a vacation,” Beomgyu says.

Yeona’s eyes light up, and she lets out a loud squeal. “Can we go, daddy? Pretty please?”

“You guys want to go?” Beomgyu asks.

“Yes!” the twins reply in unison. 

“Okay,” Beomgyu says. He turns to Taehyun, who mostly has his eyes on the TV. “Slave?”

Taehyun turns to look at Beomgyu, looking surprised. “Y-yes, master?”

“Do you want to go?” 

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen, and his mouth drops. “Y-you want me to go, master?”

“Why not?” Beomgyu replies. “You deserve to go, after all, since you’ve done the most here. We all need a break.”

“What about mommy?” Yeona asks.

“She’s still going to be on her business trip,” Beomgyu says, “but she’s okay with us going. So, do you want to go or not, slave?”

“Come with us, Taehyun-ah!” Yoonah says pleadingly. “Please! It’ll be a lot of fun!”

“Yeah!” Yeona agrees. “Please, Taehyun-ah!”

“Well, okay,” he says. Taehyun smiles, and he looks at Beomgyu. “I-I want to go, master.”

“Good,” he says, surprisingly. “We’re going to go next week on Monday, and stay there for the whole week.”

“Where are we going, daddy?” Yoonah questions.

“Singapore,” Beomgyu answers.

Taehyun’s mouth drops in shock again. “S-Singapore?”

“Yeah.” 

“I-I can’t leave the country, master,” Taehyun reminds. “It’s forbidden for slaves to do so.”

“Oh, shit, you’re right,” Beomgyu groans, barely realizing Taehyun is right. “Where’s your tattoo?”

“Um…” All slaves when they’re born get a tattoo imprinted somewhere on their body to indicate that they’re a slave. It can be anywhere on their body: neck, shoulder, face, forehead, collarbone, elbow, ear—anywhere you can think of, really.

(even in places that it shouldn’t be.)

Taehyun searches for his tattoo, forgetting he even had one. He skims his fingers down his smooth skin until he feels a slight bump on his slim waist. He places his hand on it and slightly turns to show it to Beomgyu. “I-it’s right here, master.”

“Well, your clothes are going to be covering it,” he muses. 

“What if they ask me to lift my shirt?” Taehyun frowns.

Beomgyu shrugs. “Then you do. Just put some makeup on it before we leave.”

“B-but what if-”

“Slave, stop worrying,” Beomgyu interrupts. “Everything’s going to be okay. If something goes wrong, I’ll take care of it, okay?”

Taehyun nods meekly, feeling a bit more assured. “O-okay, master.”

“So we’re good?” Beomgyu asks. “We all want to go?”

“Yes, daddy!” the twins reply in unison.

“Okay,” Beomgyu says. He glances at the TV, before looking at the clock; 5:32 in the evening. “You can stay here until seven, twins. When it’s seven, I’ll come by, and pick you guys up, okay?”

Yeona nods. “Okay, daddy.”

Beomgyu nods this time, and he looks at the three of them, before leaving Taehyun’s room. Thankfully, the two don’t have a long, full of (sexual) tension eye contact between them this time, which makes Taehyun sigh in relief. He turns back around and looks at the TV.

“Taehyun-ah, can we watch a movie?” Yoonah asks.

Taehyun looks at Yoonah. “What movie you wanna watch, Yoo?”

 _“Zootopia_!” Yeona replies for her twin. “I haven’t watched it in a long time!”

“Yeah, let’s watch it!” Yoonah agrees.

“Okay,” Taehyun says. “Call Jared, and see if he can bring us some snacks, whilst we watch the movie.”

\--

As said, Beomgyu comes around seven to pick up the twins. Fortunately, there was only a minute left for _Zootopia_ to finish, so the twins went sort of willingly with their father. He takes them to the bathroom to bathe them, dress them in their pj’s, make them brush their teeth, before tucking them into bed. It’s their second night that they don’t have Jisoo tucking them in, but this time, they go to sleep faster than they did last night. When the twins are finally asleep, Beomgyu places kisses on both of their foreheads, before walking out of their room. He walks back to his office to continue working for five more minutes before he decides to go to Taehyun’s room.

When he arrives outside, Beomgyu knocks on the door and waits for Taehyun to let him open the door.

(ever since that incident when they first met each other, beomgyu makes sure to always knock on taehyun’s door, in case he’s naked.)

(even though beomgyu wouldn’t mind seeing him naked again-)

“Come in.” 

Beomgyu opens the door to Taehyun’s room and pushes it open. He steps inside Taehyun’s room, not really that surprised that Taehyun is picking another kid’s movie to watch.

“Hey,” Beomgyu greets.

Taehyun lets out a small smile. “H-hi, master.”

“How’s your heel doing?” Beomgyu asks.

Taehyun’s smile slightly falters. “I-is that why you came in here?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu replies, even though he wants to say he also came in here to see Taehyun’s beautiful face again, and hear his lovely voice. “Is it okay if I check on it?”

“O-okay,” he says.

Beomgyu nods, and he walks toward the edge of Taehyun’s bed, where his feet are. Beomgyu grabs Taehyun’s injured foot, which is his left one, and slowly and carefully unwraps the bandages around it. He gets up and walks to Taehyun’s bathroom, sure Jisoo had put a medical kit in there the day before Taehyun arrived. Beomgyu rummages through the cupboard, before he finds the medical kit, and walks back outside. He places the kit next to him and slightly lifts Taehyun’s foot to inspect the injury.

“Does it still hurt?” Beomgyu questions, even though he knows it does.

“Y-yeah, but not as much as last night,” Taehyun answers.

Beomgyu nods, and he places Taehyun’s foot back down. He grabs a cotton ball from the kit and the alcohol, before pouring some of the liquid into the cotton ball.

“This is going to sting, okay?” he warns, looking at Taehyun.

The brunette bites his bottom lip and clenches the sheets underneath him. “G-go ahead, master.”

Beomgyu nods, trying to get rid of the dirty thoughts forming in his head. He takes a deep breath, before he places the cotton ball against Taehyun’s cut, making him let out a hiss, and bite down harder on his lip.

“Sorry,” Beomgyu mutters as he pushes the cotton against Taehyun’s heel. Beomgyu waits a few seconds, before he pulls the cotton away, making Taehyun sigh in relief. Beomgyu lets out a smile and starts bandaging Taehyun’s heel up again. When Beomgyu is all done, he looks at Taehyun. “Does it feel better?”

“A-a bit,” he replies. “Th-thank you, master.”

Beomgyu nods. “Before I go, do you want anything to eat or a drink, or do something that requires you to walk?”

“Um…” Taehyun hesitates, before he says, “I-I want to take a shower, and brush my teeth. I-I didn’t do either last night, master.”

“Right,” Beomgyu mumbles. “D-do you want me to help you, or…”

“I-if you’re okay with it,” Taehyun shyly answers. 

Beomgyu nods. “Let me just put this away, and I’ll come back to help you.” Taehyun nods this time, and Beomgyu packs up everything in the medical kit, before getting up to put it away. He comes back, and hooks his arms behind Taehyun’s arms and knees, picking him up bridal style. Taehyun wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck, and Beomgyu carries him to the bathroom. He places him down on the toilet seat and makes sure he won’t fall and hurt himself. “What clothes are you going to want?”

“A-anything comfortable is fine, master,” he says.

Beomgyu nods again, and he walks out of the bathroom. He hesitates, before he opens Taehyun’s closet, and grabs a pair of boxers, loose pants, and a yellow shirt that Beomgyu notices Taehyun likes wearing. Beomgyu walks back to the bathroom, and he places the clothes down on the sink.

“Is that all you’re going to need?” he asks.

“I-I think so,” Taehyun murmurs. “Th-thank you again, master.”

Beomgyu smiles. “Of course. Um, are you going to need help getting into…the tub?”

Taehyun looks in the direction of it. The tub is a few feet away from him, so he can just crawl, or jump there. The shower is closer, though, so Taehyun might just take a shower. “I-I think I’m going to take a shower instead, master.”

“Okay,” Beomgyu says, “but you’re going to be standing up. Your bandage might fall off, too.”

“I’ll put it back on,” Taehyun assures. “Really, I’ll be fine, master.”

“If you say so,” Beomgyu says. “I’ll be in the next room if you need anything.”

Taehyun nods and Beomgyu glances at him, before he walks out of Taehyun’s bathroom, closing the door behind him. Once Taehyun can’t hear Beomgyu anymore, he lets out a sigh of relief that he’s been holding in for so long. His heart is rapidly beating against his chest, and he doesn’t know why. Maybe because all Beomgyu has been doing is picking him up _bridal_ style. As in the way grooms pick up their brides when they go off on their honeymoon. 

Taehyun smiles at the thought, his heart warming once again. He stays seating there on the toilet seat for a few more minutes before he remembers he has to shower, and gets up with a bit of difficulty. Luckily, he manages to shower, and when he’s done, he opens the door of the shower, rubbing his hair dry with his towel, and scrubbing his skin with it. As he hangs the towel around his neck, Taehyun realizes something: how the hell is he supposed to get to his clothes by himself? He can’t jump, or else he might slip, and hurt himself more. He can’t crawl, because he’ll only get himself dirty again. So, there’s only one option.

To call Beomgyu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bridal style meaning according to google and tv tropes - “it usually denotes or foreshadows a romantic relationship between the characters” i’m giving y’all a big hint here


	14. Packed

Even though Taehyun knows he has to call Beomgyu, he doesn’t want to. What if Beomgyu gets mad with him, decides to not take him on the trip, makes him do his own stuff from now on, and starts being rude to him again? Although Taehyun wouldn’t mind seeing how hot Beomgyu looks whilst he’s angry, he doesn’t want to be spoken in a rude and cold tone by Beomgyu again. But unless he wants to worsen his injury, Taehyun has no other option. So, with a deep breath, he calls out: “M-master!”

Seconds, even a _minute_ passes, and nothing.

Taehyun slightly raises an eyebrow in confusion, before realizing his call came out too hoarse, quiet, and shy. He sighs at himself, before he clears his throat, and tries again: “Master!!”

Seconds pass, and thankfully, there’s a knock at Taehyun’s bedroom door soon.

“Slave, you okay?” It’s Beomgyu. “May I come in?”

“Y-you can come in, master!” Taehyun assures.

Taehyun soon hears his bedroom door open, and footsteps stepping inside. They then near the bathroom door, and Beomgyu knocks on it. “Why did you call for me, slave?”

“Um, I need help getting out of the shower,” Taehyun replies. “C-can you help me, master?”

“Of course,” Beomgyu says. “May I come in?”

“Sur-” Before Taehyun can fully agree, he realizes he’s _naked_. His body is naked, in all its glory, even his skin is shining with droplets of water. Taehyun _can’t_ let Beomgyu see him like this. It’d be too embarrassing. Taehyun curses under his breath, quickly wraps the towel he has around his neck, and wraps it around his frame to cover himself. He sighs in relief, before saying: “Y-you can come in, master.”

The bathroom door soon opens, and Taehyun takes in a deep breath. He doesn’t hear the bathroom door closing, so he figures Beomgyu closed the entrance to his room. 

“A-are you naked, slave?” Beomgyu asks.

Taehyun is surprised Beomgyu asked, even though he doesn’t know why he’s surprised. “N-no, master. I have a towel wrapped around myself.”

“Okay, I’m opening the door,” Beomgyu warns, before the door of the shower space is opened. Beomgyu has his eyes closed, but he slowly opens them. He makes himself only stare at Taehyun’s face, even though he has trouble doing so, and gives him a small smile. Beomgyu walks toward Taehyun, and hooks his arms underneath the younger’s back and knees, picking him up bridal style. Taehyun wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck, and Beomgyu carries him out of the shower space. Beomgyu places him down on the toilet seat, making sure to look away. “Do you need help with anything else?”

“U-um, getting out of the bathroom,” he mutters. “B-but if you’re too busy, you don’t need to help me, master. I’ll do it myself-”

“It’s fine, slave,” Beomgyu interrupts. “I’ll wait outside, and call out for me once you’re done changing, and brushing your teeth.”

Taehyun nods and Beomgyu leaves his room. Taehyun lets out a quiet sigh of relief and starts changing. As he pulls the pair of boxers up his long slim legs, Taehyun’s face heats up as he realizes _Beomgyu_ picked out his boxers. So that means _Beomgyu saw his freaking underwear_. Taehyun whines to himself, wondering how his life can get any worse. Not only did Beomgyu see Taehyun’s entire underwear collection, but he probably saw the pair of pink and white lacy panties Taehyun bought at the mall the other day with Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. Taehyun lets out a small whine and tries to push the thought to the back of his head.

When Taehyun finishes changing and brushing his teeth a few minutes later, he leans against the wall to help keep him steady and raises his left foot, so he wouldn’t put pressure against it if he placed it on the floor.

“I-I’m ready, master!” he calls out.

The bathroom door is soon opened, and Beomgyu appears. He looks at Taehyun, and walks over toward him, picking him up bridal style again. Taehyun lets out a small smile and wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck. Beomgyu carries Taehyun toward his bed and places him down on the soft mattress.

“Did any of the bandages fall out?” Beomgyu asks.

Taehyun looks at his foot, relieved to see that the bandages stayed in place. “Th-they’re good, master. Thank you.”

Beomgyu nods, looking a bit relieved. “Do you need anything? Water? A snack?”

“I’ll be fine, master,” Taehyun assures. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, of course,” Beomgyu replies. “Are you going to go to sleep, then?”

“Yeah,” Taehyun says. “I’m starting to get sleepy, anyway. You should go to sleep, too.”

“I will soon,” Beomgyu promises, and because he’s making this promise to _Taehyun_ , he will fulfill it. “Sleep well, slave.”

Taehyun smiles and opens his mouth to return it before he remembers something. “B-before you go, master, can I ask a question?”

“Sure,” Beomgyu allows.

“W-when are we going on the vacation?” Taehyun asks. “Y-you didn’t tell us.”

“Oh, hyung said we’d be leaving on Sunday,” Beomgyu answers.

“So in two days?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” Taehyun mutters. “Goodnight, then, master.”

“Goodnight, Taehyun,” Beomgyu returns.

Beomgyu doesn’t get to see how wide Taehyun’s doe wide eyes get once he hears Beomgyu call him by his real name, since he has already turned around to walk out of the brown-haired male’s room, closing the door behind him soon. Taehyun smiles into his covers and tries to go to sleep as he also tries to hold back his squeals.

\--

The next morning, Taehyun surprisingly wakes up early as usual from the other days before. But since his heel is injured, he can’t get up by himself, or he might just injure himself more. He lets out a small groan, but at least he can get up by himself to go to the bathroom. So that’s what he does: he goes to the bathroom, does his business, washes his hands, before jumping back to his bed. Fortunately, he doesn’t hurt himself or slips, so he arrives at his bed safely. He climbs back on top of it again and searches for the TV remote control.

Taehyun knows he shouldn’t be watching TV at freaking three in the morning, but he doesn’t know what else to do. Sure, he has his phone, but he barely knows how to use it, despite having it for over more than a month. He flips through the TV channels until he lands on a channel that streams k-dramas twenty-four-seven, and just stops to watch it. 

Taehyun stays awake for the next six hours until he hears a knock at his door. By now, he’s watching _Sofia the First_ , but he pauses the episode he’s watching once he hears the knock.

“Who is it?” he calls out.

“Me.” Surprisingly, it’s Jared. Taehyun’s eyes widen at his voice. He wasn’t expecting the older to be here. “May I come in?”

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun allows.

The door soon opens, and Jared appears, carrying a tray with a plate full of food, a glass of orange juice, and utensils. Taehyun is surprised to see Jared carrying a plate of food toward him, but maybe Jared will tell him what’s going on.

Jared doesn’t, placing the tray on Taehyun’s nightstand. “Enjoy your breakfast.”

“Jared, wait,” he says before Jared can leave.

Jared turns back around. “Yes, Kang?”

Taehyun is a bit thrown back at Jared addressing him by his last name before he remembers all slaves are supposed to address each other like that. “W-why did you bring me breakfast?”

“Mr. Choi told me to,” Jared replies.

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen. “C-couldn’t _he_ do it?”

“No, since he had to go with the twins to buy suitcases and other necessities,” Jared informs. “Is that all?”

“Yes,” Taehyun mutters. “Th-” Before he can fully thank Jared for bringing him his breakfast, Jared walks out of his room, closing the door behind him. Taehyun wonders what’s going on with Jared’s attitude, but sighs as he sits up to grab the tray from his nightstand and start eating.

\--

Around forty minutes later, Taehyun hears the front door opening and the exciting voices of Yoonah and Yeona. He hears Beomgyu’s lovely voice as well, and can’t help but feel excited that Beomgyu is here as well. Not even a minute later, Taehyun hears tiny pairs of footsteps rushing up the stairs, and they soon near his room. It isn’t long before he hears a tiny fist knock on his bedroom door.

“Taehyun-ah!”

Unsurprisingly, it’s the twins.

“Come in, twins!” Taehyun calls out.

The door soon opens, and Yoonah and Yeona, both dressed in matching jumpsuits, appear, their hair up in ponytails—probably the only hairstyle Beomgyu can do on them—appear. They look extra happy and hyper this morning, with huge smiles on their faces.

“Good morning!” Yoonah greets as she and her twin run toward Taehyun’s bed.

“Good morning,” he returns. “Where did you guys go?”

“We went to the store!” Yeona replies.

“Wow, that’s cool,” Taehyun says. “Why did you guys go to the store?”

Yoonah shrugs. “We dunno. Daddy wanted to go.”

“Daddy’s weird,” Yeona mutters.

“Hey, that’s rude.”

At the new voice, the three look up, seeing Beomgyu standing at the doorway. There are four big and medium-sized suitcases next to him, and Taehyun wonders how Beomgyu got the eight suitcases up the stairs without any help. He must be very strong, then… 

Taehyun shakes his head at the nasty thoughts filling up in his head and smiles at Beomgyu.

“G-good morning, master,” Taehyun greets.

“Morning,” Beomgyu returns with a smile. “How are you feeling?”

Taehyun figures Beomgyu’s talking about his heel, so he looks down at his foot. “It’s better, master. It’s starting to hurt less.”

“Can you walk now, Taehyun-ah?” Yoonah asks.

“I don’t know,” Taehyun admits. “Maybe.”

“We can see later,” Beomgyu says. “For now, we need to start packing.”

“We leave tomorrow, daddy,” Yeona whines. “We have all day.”

“No, we don’t, because you two like to get distracted a lot,” Beomgyu reminds. “Taehyun, I got you two suitcases. I don’t know what your favorite color is, so I got pink and yellow. Which one do you want?”

“Um, is your favorite color pink, master?” he questions.

“Yes,” Beomgyu replies without any hesitation. “Is there a problem?”

“N-no,” Taehyun quickly assures. “I-I’ll have yellow, then, master. It’s my favorite color.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Beomgyu says, a bit relieved. He grabs the two yellow suitcases, and he wheels them over toward Taehyun’s room. “Are you going to need help packing up?”

“Ooh, daddy, can we help Taehyun-ah pack?!” Yoonah inquires pleadingly.

“Finish packing your guys’ stuff first, and then you can,” Beomgyu allows. “As long as Taehyun is okay with it, though.”

“Are you okay with it, Taehyun-ah?” Yeona asks.

“Of course,” Taehyun assures. 

“Yay!” the twins squeal before they run out of Taehyun’s room to go to their own.

Beomgyu and Taehyun both chuckle at the twins, before they slowly realize they’re now alone. Taehyun curses to himself, wondering how he’s going to get himself out of this situation. Fortunately, Beomgyu knows how to, so he speaks up first: “I’ll help the twins pack up a bit, and I’ll be back to help you. Is that okay?”

“Y-yes, master,” Taehyun replies. “Thank you.”

Beomgyu nods, and he walks out of Taehyun’s room. Taehyun sighs in relief once he and Beomgyu aren’t alone anymore, and tries to stand up by himself. He’s successful, so he slowly places his left foot on the ground. It doesn’t hurt as much as it used to before, but once he decides to put a bit of pressure on it, he holds back a yelp, surprised at the sudden pain that rushes up his Achilles heel. He holds back a curse and falls back down to his bed. The pain turns into horrible stinging, and he closes his eyes, not being able to hold in the pain. Taehyun can feel tears burn in his eyes, but he blinks them back.

Luckily for Taehyun (or not), he hears someone’s footsteps arriving by his door, and he looks up, holding back another curse when he sees Beomgyu.

“Hey-” The silver-haired male stops his greeting when he sees the pained look on Taehyun’s face. “Oh my god, are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine, master,” he lies.

“Your heel is bleeding,” Beomgyu notices, and he quickly grabs Taehyun’s heel to inspect it. “What happened?”

“I-I tried to see if I could walk,” he admits. “A-apparently, I can’t,” he nervously chuckles.

“Taehyun, you gotta be more careful next time,” Beomgyu warns. “I think we have to go see the doctor.”

“No, please no,” Taehyun denies, frowning. “I don’t want to go.”

“Why not?” Beomgyu asks.

“Th-they treat slaves differently, master,” Taehyun explains. “Th-they hurt us, and most of the time our owners don’t care, because that’s why they take us to the doctor. P-please don’t take me there, master. P-please. I-I’ll do anything.”

“Fine, but your heel needs to be looked at by a professional,” Beomgyu says pointedly. He thinks for a bit before he remembers he knows someone’s who’s a doctor, and treats everyone equally, whether they’re slaves or not. “Wait here,” he tells Taehyun, getting up. “I’ll be right back.”

Taehyun nods and Beomgyu leaves his room. Beomgyu walks toward his office and grabs his phone. He scrolls through his phone until he lands on the contact he’s looking for. He clicks on the contact’s number and hears the line start ringing.

A few seconds later, the line picks up. “Hello?”

“Is this Lee Sunmi?” Beomgyu questions.

“This is she,” she replies. “Choi Beomgyu?”

“Hey,” he greets.

“Oh my god, hi,” Sunmi returns. “Wow, it’s been forever since we last talked.”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu agrees. “I need a favor, Sunmi.”

“Sure, what is it?” she inquires.

“My slave injured his heel the other day, and it still hurts,” Beomgyu says. “Do you think you can come over, and check on it?”

“Um, hold on a sec,” Sunmi says. Beomgyu nods, even though Sunmi can’t see it. He waits a few seconds for Sunmi to return, and she does soon. “Alright, I can come right now. It’s my only time available. Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu assures, relieved. “Thanks, noona.”

“Of course,” Sunmi says. “I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay, thanks,” Beomgyu says before he ends their call. He walks back to Taehyun’s room and sees him frowning down at his heel. “Hey.”

Taehyun looks up. “H-hi.”

“So I talked to one of my friends who’s a doctor-”

“M-master-”

“Hear me out,” Beomgyu interrupts. “She’s really good at her job, and she’s super kind. She won’t treat you any differently than she’d ever treat me, Taehyun. I promise.”

Taehyun frowns, still a bit hesitant. “A-are you really, a hundred percent, positive?”

Beomgyu nods. “I am.”

“O-okay,” Taehyun mutters. “When is she coming over?”

“She’ll be here soon,” Beomgyu says. “Whilst we wait, why don’t we start packing? The twins have already started, and I think they should be done by now.”

“O-okay, master,” Taehyun agrees.

Beomgyu nods, and he walks to Taehyun’s closet to see what he does and doesn’t want to take for the trip.

\--

Eight hours later, everyone is done and ready for the trip tomorrow. Beomgyu had taken out his, the twins’, and Taehyun’s (yes, even slaves have them, in case _headquarters_ want to take them out of the country) passports. He placed them in a spare small suitcase they have and placed all the suitcases by the door, so they wouldn’t forget about them tomorrow. 

Beomgyu’s doctor friend, Lee Sunmi, came by earlier, and she took a look at Taehyun’s heel. She bandaged it up way better than Beomgyu ever did and even gave Taehyun some painkillers and meds if he ever needs them. She ordered him to not walk for two days and to rest. If he does all that, his heel will heal soon, and he’ll back to normal. Both Beomgyu and Taehyun thanked Sunmi as she walked out, and all she did was nod before she left the Chois’ residence.

Currently, it is 5:35 in the evening, and Beomgyu is carrying Taehyun bridal style down the stairs, since they are all hungry, and it’s dinner time. The twins are already at the dining table, probably already starting to eat—Beomgyu just had to go get Taehyun, since the brunette can’t walk. They soon arrive in the dining room, where they see Jared serving the twins a cup of juice.

“Th-thank you, master,” Taehyun says as Beomgyu places him down a chair.

Beomgyu nods, and he walks around the table to sit next to his twins. “Thanks, Jared.”

“Of course, master,” he says.

Beomgyu’s and Taehyun’s eyes widen at Jared’s response—the twins are too busy eating to think, or even acknowledge what Jared said. Only _Taehyun_ calls Beomgyu ‘master.’ No one else does—not the other slaves, not the other workers, _no one_. Except for Kang Taehyun, and _only_ Kang Taehyun. The brunette usually isn’t petty, but the side effects of the medicine that Sunmi gave him earlier are starting to kick in, and Taehyun glares at Jared.

“Only _I_ can call him that,” Taehyun says sternly. “Find your own name, Lee.”

Everyone stares at Taehyun with wide eyes, even the twins, who seem to have heard what Taehyun said. Jared is just as surprised, but a small smirk crawls onto his face.

“I can call _master_ whatever I want,” he says smugly. “You’re not the boss of me, Kang.”

“Oh, you little-” Taehyun starts standing up to show Jared a lesson with his fist, but he feels a hand on his wrist. Looking up, Taehyun sees that it’s Beomgyu.

“Taehyun, sit down,” he softly orders.

This time, Jared’s eyes widen, and he stares at Beomgyu in shock. Beomgyu only calls his workers and slaves by ‘worker’ or ‘slave.’ Not by their real name. Guess Taehyun gets the special treatment. Jared figures Taehyun seems to know that as well, because he does as Beomgyu says, and sits back down.

“M-master-”

“Jared, I’m not comfortable with you calling me master,” Beomgyu interrupts. “Just like Taehyun said, only _he_ can call me that, so please just continue calling me Mr. Choi, or I’ll have to send you back to headquarters. Understand?”

A scowl starts forming itself on Jared’s face, but he bites it back down. “Y-yes, Mr. Choi. I understand. My apologies.”

Beomgyu nods. “Dismissed.”

Jared nods, and he bows to Beomgyu and the twins. Before he leaves, though, Jared glances at Taehyun and sees the brunette smirking at him. Jared glares at him, before huffing and walking away.

“Daddy, who made the food?” Yoonah asks, being the first to speak up after Jared left, which was four minutes ago.

“Jared did, angel,” Beomgyu replies. “Why?”

“The food tastes crusty,” Yeona says for her twin, Yoonah nodding in agreement. 

“I like Taehyun-ah’s food better,” she frowns.

Taehyun lets out a smile, feeling his heart warm at Yoonah’s words. “Aww, thanks, Yoo. I promise, once my heel heals, I’ll make you and Yeo all the food you two want. Will that make you guys feel better?”

Smiles immediately break out on the twins’ faces. “Okay!”

Beomgyu softly grins, and he and Taehyun let the twins continue talking amongst themselves. A few minutes later, Beomgyu remembers something he had to tell Taehyun, and he turns to the brunette. “Taehyun.”

“Y-yes, master?” he says, looking at Beomgyu.

“All the workers and slaves will be leaving today at six,” he informs. 

“W-why?” Taehyun asks.

“They’re heading to headquarters,” Beomgyu explains. “We’re not going to be here for the rest of the week starting tomorrow, so I need to send them to headquarters.”

“W-why can’t they stay here?” Taehyun says.

“I don’t trust them,” Beomgyu states with no hesitation. “Especially Jared.”

Taehyun opens his mouth to ask why, but Yeona beats him to speak up first: “Daddy, can we have ice cream?”

\--

Thirty minutes later, the four finish eating dinner. Since Taehyun can’t get up and walk, Beomgyu picks up everyone’s plates and dishes, placing them in the sink. He doesn’t bother washing them before he tells the twins to go brush their teeth. The twins whine about it at first, but eventually, do what they are told, and run off to go brush their teeth. Once Beomgyu and Taehyun are alone again, Taehyun scoots his chair back and wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck once Beomgyu picks him up bridal style once again.

“You know, master, you don’t always have to pick me up,” he says pointedly. “I can jump.”

“I know, but if you do, your chances of hurting yourself more get higher,” Beomgyu says. “So, for now, you’re stuck with me carrying you everywhere, Taehyun.” The brunette wasn’t expecting those words, especially the smile Beomgyu gives him, so he turns a light shade of pink. Beomgyu obviously notices because he lets out a chuckle as he starts walking up the stairs. “Do you have everything packed?”

“Yes, master,” Taehyun replies. “You were the one helping me, remember?”

“Ah, right,” Beomgyu mutters, seeming to have forgotten. “Are you sure I packed everything you wanted to pack?”

“Yes, master,” Taehyun reassures. “We can even check over everything again if you want.”

“No that’s okay,” Beomgyu sighs. “We already did that, and I need to do it with the twins.”

Taehyun giggles. “Okay, master.”

Beomgyu smiles at Taehyun’s giggle, and they soon arrive in Taehyun’s room. Beomgyu walks in, and he carries Taehyun toward his bed, softly placing him down on the mattress. Taehyun adjusts himself, and carefully stretches his arms.

“Do you need anything before I leave?” Beomgyu asks.

“I’m okay, master,” Taehyun replies. “Thank you.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure, master.”

“Okay,” Beomgyu mutters. “I’ll be in the twins’ room if you need me. Oh, and make sure to go to sleep early, since we’re leaving early tomorrow.”

Taehyun nods. “Make sure to get some sleep, master.”

Beomgyu smiles. “I will.”

“Goodnight, master,” Taehyun bids, even though it is barely turning six in the evening.

“Goodnight,” Beomgyu returns, knowing he and Taehyun won’t see each other again until the next morning. “Sweet dreams.”

“Likewise, master,” Taehyun says.

Beomgyu nods, and he finally walks out of Taehyun’s room. Beomgyu smiles at Taehyun, before closing the door of the brunette’s room behind him. Taehyun is now left alone again, and he lets out a sigh. He forgot to ask Beomgyu to carry him to the bathroom, so he can brush his teeth, but he figures he can jump there himself. So that’s what he does: he gets up from his bed, jumps to the bathroom, brushes his teeth, jumps back to his bed, before getting settled in it, and turns the TV on. He falls asleep around twenty minutes later, hoping tomorrow will come soon.


	15. Airport

By the time Taehyun wakes up the next morning, he can hear chatter coming from the other rooms in the house. Taehyun is a bit surprised he can hear voices and starts growing scared, thinking there’s an intruder in the house. But then that thought quickly goes away just as it formed in Taehyun’s head because he soon hears the familiar giggles of Yoonah and Yeona and their squeals. Taehyun sighs in relief, and stretches his body, before sitting up in his bed. He can’t stand up by himself yet, so he has to wait until Beomgyu comes upstairs.

But Beomgyu still doesn’t come down the stairs after ten minutes, so Taehyun decides to get up by himself. He gets up whilst putting most of his weight on his right foot. He holds onto the wall or other furniture that’s on his way as he walks toward his bedroom door. He opens it and walks outside. He slowly jumps, and holds onto the wall, until he reaches the top of the staircase. As he looks down, he can see the twins getting their hair done by Beomgyu, and again, he’s putting their hair up in a ponytail. Taehyun lets out a small chuckle, but the twins must’ve heard it, because they look up, their eyes lighting up when they see Taehyun.

“Taehyun-ah!” they squeal.

“Good morning,” Taehyun greets with a smile.

Beomgyu jumps once he hears the twins yell out Taehyun’s name, but looks up at Taehyun, wondering what he’s doing out of bed. “Taehyun, what are you doing out of bed?”

“I-I went to the bathroom, and I heard voices, so I decided to come here, master,” he partially lies.

“What did Sunmi tell you yesterday?” Beomgyu says, raising an eyebrow.

“To rest for two days,” Taehyun mutters. “But she also told me not to walk, and I’m not. I’m jumping.”

“Wow, that makes everything better,” Beomgyu says sarcastically.

“Daddy, why are you getting mad at Taehyun-ah?” Yoonah asks with a small frown.

“He did nothing wrong,” Yeona adds.

“He’s not supposed to get out of bed, because of his foot, angels,” Beomgyu says. “He was supposed to wait until I come for him.”

“I’m sorry, master,” Taehyun apologizes.

“It’s fine,” Beomgyu sighs. “You must’ve been waiting for a long time, anyway. Are you ready?”

Taehyun slightly furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Ready for what?”

“We’re going on vacation today, Taehyun-ah!” Yoonah reminds.

Taehyun’s eyes widen. “Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. Fu- Friends.”

“What’s ‘fu-friends’?” Yeona asks.

“Um, nothing,” Taehyun quickly replies.

“Then why did you-”

“Twins, are you guys ready?” Beomgyu interrupts. “Do you have all your stuff?”

“Yes, sir,” the twins reply in unison.

“Daddy, when are Yeonjun-Oppa and the others going to pick us up?” Yoonah questions.

“In fifteen minutes,” Beomgyu says. He looks up at Taehyun. “Taehyun, are you ready?”

“Um, I just need to change,” he answers.

Beomgyu nods. “Twins, you can watch the TV, whilst I go help Taehyun, okay?”

“Okay, daddy!” 

Beomgyu smiles at them before he climbs up the stairs until he reaches Taehyun. Without warning, Beomgyu hooks his arms underneath the brown-haired male’s back and knees, picking him up bridal style. Taehyun lets out a small yelp, his arms immediately wrapping themselves around Beomgyu’s neck. Beomgyu smiles apologetically and carries Taehyun toward his room. Once they arrive, Beomgyu places Taehyun down on his bed.

“What clothes are you going to want to wear?” Beomgyu asks.

“Anything that’ll make me look like I’m rich,” Taehyun replies. “Please, master.”

Beomgyu nods, and he walks toward Taehyun’s closet. He searches through the clothes Taehyun has before he finds designer clothes that go well together. He takes the outfit out and shows it to Taehyun.

“Do you like this one?” Beomgyu questions.

Taehyun looks the outfit up and down. “Yeah. Thank you, master.”

Beomgyu nods, and he places the outfit down on Taehyun’s bed. “I’ll be outside. Call out for me once you’re done changing.”

Taehyun nods this time, and Beomgyu leaves his room. Once Taehyun is alone, he gets up and undresses. He then changes into the outfit Beomgyu chose for him, which is a white hoodie underneath a black going to class half-zip pullover, and black carpenter pants. It doesn’t look too expensive, but it doesn’t look too poor, either. 

“M-master, I’m done!” he calls out.

Taehyun’s bedroom door soon opens, and Beomgyu appears. He looks Taehyun up and down, before looking at his eyes. “Do you like it?”

“Yeah,” he assures. “Thanks again, master.”

“Of course,” Beomgyu says. “Are you going to want to wear shoes?”

“Oh, I forgot about that,” Taehyun mutters. Ever since he hurt his heel, he’s been barefoot and has forgotten about wearing shoes. But now that he’s going to pretend he’s not a slave, he’s going to need shoes. “Um, can you search for the black and blue Vans I have, master? They should be by my ankle boots.”

Beomgyu nods, and he walks toward Taehyun’s closet. Beomgyu crouches down, and he rummages through Taehyun’s shoes before he finds the one Taehyun is talking about. Beomgyu grabs a pair of socks before he heads back to Taehyun. He pulls on the socks on Taehyun’s feet, surprising him, and carefully pulls the sock on Taehyun’s left foot, trying to be as careful as possible. He then pulls on the shoes, and mutters a ‘sorry’ when Taehyun winces as Beomgyu pulls the left shoe on. Once Beomgyu is done, he ties the shoes, before letting go of Taehyun’s feet.

“Thank you, master,” he mutters, a bit shyly. “Y-you didn’t have to put my shoes on, though. I-I could’ve done that myself.”

“True, but you could’ve hurt yourself,” Beomgyu says pointedly. “Are you ready now? Hyungs and Byeol should be picking us up soon.”

“I’m ready now, master,” Taehyun assures.

“Let’s go, then,” Beomgyu says.

“Wait, master,” Taehyun says before Beomgyu can pick him up bridal style again. “You can’t be carrying me in the airport. They’ll grow more suspicious, too, if I’m in crutches or a wheelchair.”

“Shoot, you’re right,” Beomgyu curses. “Well, what else can we do? You can’t walk unless you want to inflict pain on yourself.”

“Sunmi-noona _did_ leave us some painkillers,” Taehyun reminds.

“You wanna use those?” Beomgyu asks, raising an eyebrow.

Taehyun nods. “Do you have a better idea?”

“Taehyun, don’t you remember the risks you’re going to take if you take those pills?”

Sunmi indeed did give Taehyun some painkillers when she was here yesterday, in case Taehyun needed to walk for an emergency. But the side effects of the painkillers are nausea, death, headaches, and acting high. 

(well, the side effects don’t really include death, but it might happen to old people.)

(however, taehyun isn’t old—he’s barely seventeen, for god’s sake—so he’ll be okay.)

“Y-yes I do,” he replies, “but nausea, headaches, and acting high aren’t that bad. They’re going to kick in once we’re on the plane, and we’ll have our own room. No one will suspect anything.”

“Except for the flight attendants,” Beomgyu says. “They’re going to be checking on us hourly.”

“Then just create a distraction,” Taehyun suggests. “This is the only way, master. You know that.”

Beomgyu sighs. “Fine, but you better rest once we arrive, if you do feel any of those symptoms.”

Taehyun nods, smiling now that Beomgyu finally agreed with him. “Deal.”

Beomgyu shakes his head, before getting up to get the pills in Taehyun’s bathroom. Beomgyu comes back, and he takes out three pills. He hands them to Taehyun, and the brunette swallows them raw. Beomgyu winces at the sight, and Taehyun lets out a small breath.

“Is it kicking in?” Beomgyu slowly asks.

“Not yet,” Taehyun mutters. “They should be kicking in by the time we get to the airport, though.”

Beomgyu nods. “So, you all ready now?”

“Yeah,” Taehyun replies. “Thank you, master.”

“Sure,” Beomgyu mutters, before he goes to Taehyun, and picks him up bridal style. Taehyun wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck, and Beomgyu carries him outside, down the stairs, until they arrive in the living room, seeing the twins watching Barbie. “Twins, we’re back.”

“Daddy, can you buy us a Barbie doll?” Yoonah questions, turning to look at her dad with puppy eyes.

“Angel, you already have enough,” he reminds. 

“Aww, please, daddy?” Yeona whines.

“Maybe later,” Beomgyu says.

“That’s boring,” Yoonah groans.

“Stop whining, or I won’t buy you guys anything,” Beomgyu warns as he places Taehyun down on the couch.

“Sorry, daddy,” the twins apologize in unison.

Beomgyu opens his mouth to say something, but he’s interrupted when his phone starts ringing. He takes it out to check the caller ID to see who’s calling him.

Soobin.

Beomgyu answers the call, placing the phone next to his ear. “Hello?”

“Hey, Beom,” Soobin greets. “We’re around the corner.”

“That was fast,” Beomgyu mutters. 

“Do you need any help with the suitcases?” Soobin asks.

Beomgyu glances at the suitcases, silently counting them all to see how many they have: twelve. “Yeah, if you can.”

“Okay, we’ll be there soon,” Soobin assures.

“Thanks, hyung,” Beomgyu says.

“Mhm,” Soobin says before he ends their call.

“Who was it, daddy?” Yeona questions.

“Soobin,” Beomgyu replies. “They’re almost here.”

“Finally!” Yoonah squeals. “Daddy, can we go outside to say hi?”

“Okay, but be safe,” he allows.

The twins squeal and run to the door. Yeona opens the door, but they’re surprised to see that Soobin was just about to ring the doorbell. Once he realizes the door is open, he smiles and looks down at the twins.

“Hi, girls,” he greets.

“Soobin-Oppa!” the twins squeal, hugging the male’s legs.

Soobin chuckles, and he crouches down to hug the twins. “Are you guys ready for the trip?”

“Of course!” Yeona says excitedly. “Oppa, where are Yeonjun-Oppa and Byeol?”

“They’re in the car,” Soobin replies. “You wanna go say hi to them?”

Yoonah nods. “Can we?”

“Of course,” Soobin assures. “We’ll be there soon.”

“Thanks, Oppa!” the twins say in unison before they run off to the car where Yeonjun and Byeol are.

Soobin chuckles at the twins before he gets back up. He sees Taehyun sitting on the couch, and smiles at them. “Hi, Taehyun.”

“Hi, hyung,” he returns. 

“You okay?” Soobin asks, wondering why Taehyun isn’t getting up to go greet him properly. It is respectful, after all.

“I would, but it hurts to get up,” Taehyun says.

“Really?” Soobin’s eyes slightly widen. “What happened?”

“I cut my heel the other day, and it hurts to put pressure on it,” Taehyun explains.

“Oh,” Soobin says. “Well, I hope you feel better soon, Taehyun.”

The brunette smiles. “Thanks, hyung.”

Soobin nods, and he turns to look for Beomgyu. The silver-haired male is nearby, talking on the phone. Fortunately, he ends the call a second later after Soobin notices him, so Soobin walks over toward Beomgyu.

“Hey, Beom,” Soobin greets.

Beomgyu smiles, and he hugs Soobin. “Hi, hyung.”

“You ready to go?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Beomgyu replies. “Thanks for coming to help us.”

Soobin nods. “Yeah, of course. I’ll bring the first two suitcases, and you can carry Taehyun to the car. Yeonjun and the rest are already in there.”

Beomgyu nods, and he leaves Soobin to go to Taehyun. Beomgyu picks the younger up bridal style again, and Taehyun wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck. Beomgyu carries Taehyun to the car, and Taehyun helps Beomgyu by opening the car door. Once it’s open, they both hear Yeonjun and the girls giggling amongst each other.

“Oh my god, hi, guys!” he says, waving rapidly.

“Hi, hyung,” Taehyun returns with a smile.

Yeonjun opens his mouth to say something else before he notices the way Beomgyu is carrying Taehyun and the smile on both of their faces. Yeonjun slightly furrows his eyebrows in confusion, putting the pieces together. Once he’s done, he lets out a gasp and stares at Beomgyu and Taehyun in shock.

“Are you two… _cheating_ on Jisoo?” Yeonjun quietly asks so the girls won’t hear.

“No…?” Beomgyu gives Yeonjun a look of confusion. “Why would you say that, hyung?”

“Well, the way you’re carrying Taehyun usually means something _romantic_ is happening between two people,” he starts. “Second, last time I came to your guys’ house, you guys were, like, mad with each other. But now you’re all happy, and Taehyun even has his arms around your neck, Beomgyu.”

Taehyun’s cheeks are starting to turn red, even though he’s trying to hold back his blushing. He can’t believe what Yeonjun is saying but knows Yeonjun is right. Usually, only people in a _romantic_ relationship treat each other like this. Yet, here Beomgyu and Taehyun are—Beomgyu is married to someone who isn’t Taehyun, and is still carrying the brunette bridal style, even though Beomgyu has never carried his own _wife_ like this. Not even on their honeymoon.

“Hyung, stop thinking so wrong,” he chuckles. Fortunately (or not), Beomgyu doesn’t seem to have a problem with what Yeonjun said. Well, that’s what Taehyun thinks. “Taehyun’s foot is injured, so he can’t walk. I have to carry him.”

“You don’t _have_ to,” Yeonjun says pointedly. “There’s this thing called crutches and a wheelchair.”

“Well, we don’t have either,” Beomgyu says. “Besides there’s nothing wrong with helping someone who needs it. Isn’t that what you always tell me, hyung?”

“I guess,” Yeonjun mutters, a bit disappointed that Beomgyu didn’t agree with what he said—about something _romantic_ happening between Beomgyu and Taehyun. “So, nothing’s happening between you two?”

“N-no, hyung,” he nervously chuckles. “Why would there be? M-master’s married.” _Unfortunately._

“You could always be his ‘mistress’,” Yeonjun says.

“Hyung, stop saying such nonsense,” Beomgyu sighs, placing Taehyun down on the car seat in the back. “Taehyun and I would never do a thing like that.” _Even though we had sex, like, two months ago, and I liked it, but, pfft, nothing like that will ever happen again._

_Unfortunately._

“Fine,” Yeonjun frowns. “Does Soobin need help?”

“I think he’s going to be fine,” Beomgyu replies. “I’ll be back to help him.”

Yeonjun nods, and Beomgyu leaves after closing the door behind Taehyun. Now that Yeonjun, Taehyun, Byeol, and the twins are alone, the girls look between Yeonjun and Taehyun.

“Mommy, what were you and Oppas talking about?” Byeol asks.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetie,” Yeonjun answers, smiling at Byeol. “And hey, why didn’t you say hi to Beomgyu or Taehyun? Where are your manners, Choi Byeol?”

\--

A long two hours later, the seven arrive at the airport. Soobin and Yeonjun sat in the front, Byeol and the twins sat in the middle, and Beomgyu and Taehyun sat in the back. Because of what Yeonjun said about them earlier, things between them have gotten awkward, and the two barely said a word to each other. Throughout the ride, Taehyun tried looking out the window, and not look at Beomgyu. Unfortunately, Taehyun did steal a few glances but quickly looked away, since he noticed Beomgyu was also looking at him. That also made tension rise in the air, and Taehyun always subconsciously scooted away from Beomgyu when he felt it.

“We’re here,” Soobin announces as he parks into an empty parking space. “Girls, make sure to stay with us at all times. Don’t run off, okay?”

“Okay, daddy.”  
“Okay, Oppa.”

Soobin nods, and they all get out. Taehyun is the last one left in the car, and he frowns down at his heel. He doesn’t know if the painkillers have kicked in yet, so he’s a bit doubtful.

“Taehyun?”

For the first time in almost three hours, Beomgyu speaks to Taehyun.

The brunette looks up, locking eyes with Beomgyu. “Y-yes, master?”

“Can you get out by yourself?” he asks.

“I-I don’t know, master,” Taehyun admits.

Beomgyu nods, and he holds out his hand. “Grab onto me, and I’ll help you.” Taehyun’s a bit hesitant, but he eventually grabs Beomgyu’s hand, and Beomgyu grips onto Taehyun’s. The brunette takes a deep breath before he lets Beomgyu pull him up, and Taehyun slowly gets out of the car. He sits down on the seat that’s near the door and places his right foot down on the ground first. Taehyun takes another deep breath before he places his left foot down. Beomgyu helps him stand up from the car, and Taehyun hesitantly puts pressure on his left heel. Fortunately, it doesn’t hurt as much as before, but it does sting a bit. “You okay?” 

Taehyun looks up at Beomgyu, the two locking eyes. “I-I’m fine, master.”

“Can you walk?”

“I-I think so.” 

“Try.” 

Taehyun nods, but he doesn’t let go of Beomgyu’s hand. Beomgyu doesn’t let go of Taehyun’s, either. Taehyun slowly places his right foot in front of his left, soon doing it vice versa. Eventually, he starts walking at a normal pace, and only feels a slight sting in his heel. He smiles in relief and turns to look at Beomgyu.

“I-it doesn’t hurt to walk, master,” Taehyun says.

Beomgyu smiles in relief as well. “That’s good.”

Taehyun nods and feels the sudden and strange urge to hug Beomgyu, but Taehyun holds himself back. The two now stare at each other, though, and don’t break out of their trance until they feel a slight tug at their leg.

“Can we leave now?” Yoonah.

“Y-yeah,” Beomgyu replies. “Where are the others, angel?”

“They already left,” Yoonah says. “Let’s go now, daddy and Taehyun-ah.”

The two nod and they follow behind Yoonah into the airport. They soon catch up with the other four, and Beomgyu takes out his, the twins’, and Taehyun’s passports. They soon get into security, and the others except Taehyun go first. Taehyun goes last, and he swallows nervously as he makes eye contact with the security guard.

“Step forward, sir,” he orders.

Taehyun nods and tries to hide back his nervousness. He steps into the metal detecting scanner, and fortunately, it doesn’t beep. Although the scanner doesn’t beep, the security guard still looks at Taehyun with narrow eyes and scans him up and down.

“Is there a problem, officer?” Beomgyu, thankfully, steps in, noticing the problem starting to grow.

“Yes,” the guard replies. “Are you sure he’s not a slave?”

“Why would you ask that?” Beomgyu demands. “No, he’s not. Are you blind or something, officer?”

“You might be rich, Mr. Choi, but it’s still against the law to try to take slaves out of the country,” the guard says sternly. He turns to Taehyun. “I’m going to need you to lift your shirt.”

“Hey,” Beomgyu snaps, glaring at the guard. “You can’t do that. That’s basically harassment.”

“Not if I have a warrant,” he says, holding up the piece of paper. The guard turns to Taehyun again. “Lift your shirt.” Taehyun glances at Beomgyu, and the older nods. Taehyun bites his bottom lip, and hesitantly lifts his shirt. The guard inspects every inch of skin that Taehyun is showing, looking for the specific tattoo that shows Taehyun belongs to the slave industry. A minute later, the guard still doesn’t find anything, so he lets Taehyun pull down his shirt. “I’m going to need to pull you into inspection.”

“He already proved he’s not a slave,” Beomgyu reminds. “He doesn’t need to go anywhere with you, officer. And if you excuse us, we’re going to be late for our flight if we don’t hurry up.”

Beomgyu grabs Taehyun’s arm to start pulling him away, but the guard grabs Taehyun’s other arm, stopping him from moving.

“He’s not going anywhere,” the guard says, glaring at Beomgyu. “If you don’t let go, Mr. Choi, you’re going to be arrested for interrupting an investigation against the law.”

Beomgyu scowls. He’s had enough of the guard’s bullshit. It’s obvious the old bastard only wants to have Taehyun alone and actually doesn’t care whether Taehyun is a slave or not. Beomgyu only has one option left, so he puts his suitcase down on the floor, faces Taehyun, wraps his arms around the younger’s slim waist, pulls him closer, and finally, connects their lips for the first time in two months. 


	16. First Class

Taehyun’s eyes widen when he feels Beomgyu’s lips on his again. Beomgyu’s lips are just as soft and sweet as Taehyun imagined, but before he can kiss back, and wrap his arms around Beomgyu’s neck, he starts hearing someone calling out his name. Taehyun grows confused, and he hesitantly pulls away from Beomgyu. But Taehyun is surprised when the older suddenly starts calling for his name, even though Taehyun is right in front of him. 

_“Taehyun!”_

_“Taehyun!”_

_“Taehyun, wake up!”_

The brown-haired male is startled awake, and he jumps as he wakes up. He feels a shiver run down his spine, and he looks to see who called out for him: Yeonjun.

“H-hyung?” 

“We have to leave,” he says. “Sorry for waking you up, by the way.”

Taehyun gives Yeonjun a look of confusion. “I was sleeping?”

“Yeah…?” Yeonjun returns the look to Taehyun. “You didn’t know?”

“No,” he mutters. “It felt so real…”

“What did you say?” Yeonjun asks.

“N-nothing,” Taehyun quickly says, giving Yeonjun a small smile. “Where are the others?”

“They left already,” he replies. “Our gate number was called, and I told the rest I’d wake you up. You ready to go?”

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun mutters. He gets up, and looks around for his suitcases, but realizes they aren’t there anymore. He then remembers they put them on the luggage drop off earlier, before waiting for their gate number to be called.

“Can you still walk?” Yeonjun asks.

“Yeah,” Taehyun assures.

“Let’s go, then,” Yeonjun says. Taehyun nods and he and Yeonjun start walking toward the gate where their plane is. They arrive two minutes later, show the worker their ticket before they are allowed to go toward the plane. Once they’re outside where it is, Taehyun is surprised it’s _at least_ twenty feet tall. Taehyun’s mouth slightly drops, and he gapes at the airplane. He’s never seen one before in real life, so to say he’s ultimately so freaking shocked at the sight of this huge plane is understandable. “Tae, you okay?”

Taehyun snaps out of his trance, looking at Yeonjun. “H-huh?”

“You okay?” he repeats.

“I-I’m fine,” Taehyun says. “I just…never expected the plane to be _this_ big.”

Yeonjun chuckles. “Well, it has to be big enough to fit a lot of people.”

“R-right,” Taehyun mutters.

Yeonjun and Taehyun continue walking toward the plane and climb the stairs up until they enter the plane. They are shown to the first-class section, and their own private space, seeing Beomgyu, Soobin, Byeol, and the twins there once they arrive.

“We’re here,” Yeonjun announces.

“Mommy!” Byeol squeals as she runs to hug Yeonjun’s legs. “What took you so long?”

“There was a unicorn on the way, and we ate candy together,” he lies.

Byeol’s eyes light up. “You did?! Lucky!!”

Yeonjun chuckles. “I was just kidding, Byeol.”

“Aww,” she pouts.

Yeonjun lets out a sheepish smile, sitting down next to his husband. The other Chois are engulfed in their own small circle, and Taehyun scans the space to see where the next available seat is. And of course, it just happens to be next to Beomgyu. The memories of what happened in Taehyun’s dream run through his head, and he nervously gulps. Before anyone can give him a weird look for still standing, Taehyun hesitantly sits down next to Beomgyu, making sure to keep their distance.

“Taehyun-ah, does your heel hurt yet?” Yoonah asks.

“No,” Taehyun assures. “Why are you asking, Yoo?”

The little girl shrugs. “Just in case.”

“Daddy, I’m hungry,” Yeona whines, tugging on Beomgyu’s pant leg.

“We’ll eat soon, angel,” he says, having forgotten that none of them have eaten breakfast yet. “The food will be here soon.”

“Well, tell them to hurry up, because my poor tummy is starting to hurt,” Yeona huffs.

Beomgyu chuckles, and he shakes his head as he pulls Yeona onto his lap. Yoonah lets out a whine, so Beomgyu places her on his free leg. He holds them close, and they rest their small heads against his chest. Beomgyu smiles, and he looks next to him, surprised to see that Taehyun is far away from them, looking as if he’s zoning out.

“Taehyun?” Beomgyu calls out. He doesn’t receive a response, so he calls Taehyun’s name out again, but no response. Beomgyu slightly raises an eyebrow, and he lightly touches Taehyun’s arm, shaking it. “Taehyun?”

At the touch, and his name being called, the brunette jumps in surprise. Taehyun sighs in relief once he realizes it’s just Beomgyu, but then starts panicking when he notices the older’s hand on his arm. “Y-yes, master?”

“You okay?” Beomgyu questions. “You were zoning out a bit there.”

“I-I’m fine, master,” Taehyun lies. “S-sorry.”

“It’s okay, I guess,” Beomgyu mutters. “You hungry?”

At the mention of being hungry, Taehyun’s stomach grumbles. “Y-yeah.”

“The food should be here soon,” Beomgyu muses. He then turns to talk to Soobin and Yeonjun, which makes Taehyun sigh in relief.

 _You have to calm down, Kang_ , he scolds himself. _You’re going to make master worry, and then he’ll know something’s going on. Wait, who’s to say he’s going to even care? He won’t, but still. Calm down, Kang. Don’t make it so obvious about your dumb dream._

Taehyun nods to himself, and when he looks up, he sees Yeonjun looking at him. The two lock eyes and Taehyun raises an eyebrow at Yeonjun. The older lets out a small smug smile, and he gets up.

“I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” he announces. “Tae, can you be a dear, and come with me?”

“S-sure,” Taehyun mumbles.

“Don’t take long,” Soobin calls out as his husband and Taehyun walk away to the bathroom.

“We won’t,” Yeonjun says. He and Taehyun soon arrive in the bathroom, and Yeonjun closes the door behind Taehyun. The two are alone now, but Yeonjun locks the door just in case. “You okay, Taehyun?”

“Y-yeah,” he lies. “W-why do you keep asking me that, hyung?”

“Because you make it obvious you’re not,” Yeonjun says. “What’s going on, Tae?”

“I-I’m not sure I can tell you,” he says quietly, looking down at the floor.

Yeonjun lets out a small smile, and he walks closer toward Taehyun. Yeonjun hooks his finger underneath the younger’s chin, making him look up, so they can lock eyes. “Why not? We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Y-yeah, but…you’re probably going to hate me once I tell you,” Taehyun says. 

“Does it have to do with Beomgyu?” Yeonjun asks.

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen. “H-how did you-”

Yeonjun shrugs. “You make it obvious. So, what’s up with him?”

“Y-you promise you won’t make me leave, or start hating me?” Taehyun questions, holding out his pinky.

Yeonjun smiles at the gesture, and he intertwines his pinky with Taehyun’s. “I promise.”

“I can trust you, right?”

Yeonjun nods. “Of course, Taehyun.”

The brunette notices that Yeonjun hesitated before he nodded, but pushes the thought to the back of his head. What’s happening right now is more important. “W-well, master and I…did something bad a few months ago…”

“You guys had sex,” Yeonjun says immediately.

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun finally admits, biting his lower lip. “I-it was wrong, but it felt _so_ good, you know? H-his dick was-”

“You’re releasing a bit too much info, Tae,” Yeonjun chuckles.

Taehyun’s cheeks turn pink, realizing Yeonjun is right. “R-right, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he assures. “Continue.”

“W-well, we had sex, but we were drunk when we did it,” Taehyun continues. Yeonjun listens as he leans back against the sink. “M-master was still mean to me back then, so the next day when we were sober, he called me into his office. H-he said if I tried to pull anything like that, or it ever happened again, h-he’d execute me without hesitating. I-I used to have a crush on him, but once he told me those words, those feelings went away. B-but now that he’s being a sweetheart to me, those feelings are back, and earlier…when I was sleeping, I had a dream about him.”

“Was it…a wet dream?” Yeonjun hesitantly asks.

Taehyun shakes his head. “N-no.”

“Then?”

“H-he kissed me in front of everyone back at the airport,” Taehyun mutters. “Th-the guard was suspicious that I was a slave, and master was persistent that I wasn’t, but the guard was too stubborn to agree. S-so, master…kissed me.”

“Ooh,” Yeonjun says, pursing his lips. “So that’s why you’ve been acting weird?”

Taehyun nods. “Th-the dream felt _real_ , hyung. I-I don’t know why it does, though.”

“Well, the security guard _was_ suspicious of you, but Beomgyu persuaded him enough to let you go,” Yeonjun reminds. “Maybe that’s why?”

“Maybe,” Taehyun mumbles. “I-it might be a bad thing, but…I wish master _did_ kiss me.”

Yeonjun sighs. “I’m sorry, Taehyun.”

“What are you sorry for?” he questions.

“Well, as you said, you have a crush on Beomgyu,” Yeonjun says. “But you guys can’t get together, because Beom’s already married.”

“Yeah, I know,” Taehyun murmurs. “It’s not like we can ‘date’ behind noona’s back, either.” Yeonjun nods in agreement, and then the two stay silent. That is until Taehyun realizes something, and he looks at Yeonjun in confusion. “Hyung, aren’t you…mad or disgusted at me for having feelings for master?”

“To be honest, I’m really not,” he admits. “Sure, I’m a bit mad that you two cheated on Jisoo, but now that I think about it, I don’t really care.”

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen. “R-really? Why?”

“Well, ever since I met Jisoo, she always gave me a weird vibe,” Yeonjun starts.

“What kind of vibe?” Taehyun asks.

“I don’t know, but a weird one,” Yeonjun says. “I met her back in high school, and all she would do is smoke, drink, and party. She didn’t have her life together until she met Beomgyu. But even then she would still smoke and do all those bad things. She even got Beomgyu in danger once, since she made him vape one time, and he ended up in the hospital.”

Taehyun’s eyes get bigger. “Sh-she did?”

“Yeah,” Yeonjun sighs. “Luckily, though, her parents soon found out about her problem and made her go into rehab. She was in there for a few months, before they let her go.”

“Was she back to normal once she was out?” Taehyun questions.

“Yeah,” Yeonjun replies, “but I still didn’t like being around her. She still gave off a weird vibe, and then she told me one day that she had a crush on Beomgyu.”

Taehyun looks at Yeonjun slightly confused. “How is that a bad thing?” Yeonjun gives Taehyun a look, and Taehyun furrows his eyebrows slightly in confusion before he gets what Yeonjun means. Taehyun looks at Yeonjun in surprise. “Y-you had a _crush_ on master?”

“Unfortunately,” he sighs. “But when Jisoo told me she had a crush on Beom, I told her we were already dating, being the dumbass that I am. Jisoo didn’t believe me, so she confronted Beom, and she embarrassed me in front of the whole high school when Beomgyu told her the truth. It got even worse when they started dating. She would always stick to Beomgyu all the time, and he barely had a chance to hang out with us.”

“Who’s ‘us’?” Taehyun inquires.

“Our group of friends back in high school,” Yeonjun answers. “It was me, Soobin, and this other kid whom we called Kai, but his real name was Kai Kamal Huening. He was born in America, but his parents took him to Korea. We all became friends pretty easily, and he even paired Soobin and me up.”

“So that’s how you two started dating?” Taehyun says.

Yeonjun nods. “Soobin was such a big nerd back in high school, and I didn’t really care about my grades, so obviously we didn’t know each other. But then Kai came around, and he introduced us to each other. Months later, we started dating.”

“Aww, that’s cute,” Taehyun says with a small smile.

“Yeah,” Yeonjun agrees, softly smiling. He then shakes his head to focus on their original subject. “Anyway, since I was already dating Soobin, I didn’t care that Beom and Jisoo were dating, but it bothered me how clingy she was. She’d go with Beomgyu everywhere, even the bathroom.”

“That’s weird,” Taehyun mutters.

“It is,” Yeonjun says. “I don’t think Jisoo ever liked me, either, though, since she’d always give me a weird look when Beom _did_ hang out with the rest of us.”

“Last time, you guys acted as if you knew each other for years, and were best friends,” Taehyun muses.

“We do it for Beomgyu’s sake,” Yeonjun sighs. “We’re not actually like that, and god, I hope we never are.”

“Okay,” Taehyun mumbles. “S-so, you wouldn’t mind if, y-you know, m-master and I cheated on Jisoo again? _If_ that’ll ever happen again, anyway.”

Yeonjun shrugs. “Not really. But make sure to hide it from the public. They’re really noisy, and a pain in the ass. Oh, and you don’t want Jisoo finding out. Ooh, and make sure to especially hide it from the twins. They’re too young to understand, but they will tell Jisoo that they found you and Beom naked on the same bed.”

Taehyun nods. “Thanks, hyung.”

Yeonjun smiles. “Of course. What are friends for?” Taehyun smiles, and he wraps his arms around Yeonjun, surprising the blue-haired male. But Yeonjun soon smiles, and he wraps his arms around Taehyun as well. The two would’ve continued hugging for the rest of the day if it weren’t for Yeonjun remembering that they left their ‘husbands’ and ‘children’ outside alone. They also promised they wouldn’t take long, and they’ve been in the bathroom for at least thirty minutes now. “Hey, Tae?”

The brunette opens his eyes to look at Yeonjun and slightly pulls away. “Yeah, hyung?”

“Do you think we should leave the bathroom now?” he chuckles. “We’ve been in here for at least thirty minutes.”

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen. “W-we have?” 

“Yeah,” Yeonjun giggles, the two letting go of each other. “Let’s go back, then.”

Taehyun nods, and he opens the bathroom door. He and Yeonjun walk out of the bathroom and walk back toward their own private space. Once they arrive, they see the other five barely finishing to eat.

“W-we’re back,” Taehyun announces, nervously chuckling.

“About time,” Beomgyu grumbles as he watches Taehyun sit down next to him. “You guys were in there for at least two hours.”

“Yeah, and you guys promised to not take long,” Soobin pouts.

“You guys exaggerate,” Yeonjun says, rolling his eyes as he sits down next to Soobin. “And you’re big babies, too.”

“You’re not?” he shoots back.

“Yeah, but I’m your baby,” Yeonjun says with a smile. “And I had your baby, too, so don’t even start, Choi.”

Soobin rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Mommy, what were you and Taehyun-Oppa doing in the bathroom?” Byeol asks.

“We were talking about how we’re going to rule the world,” Yeonjun replies.

“Luckies,” all three little girls whine in unison.

“Girls, Yeonjun was just being sarcastic,” Beomgyu chuckles. “No one can rule the world.”

“Then that’s borning,” Yoonah frowns.

“You guys think everything is boring,” Taehyun says.

“Because it is,” Yeona groans.

Taehyun chuckles. “Just wait until you’re an adult, and all grown up.”

“Ugh, it’s bad enough that they’re barely five years old,” Beomgyu says. “And I have to watch them soon grow up into grown young ladies. I don’t want my babies to grow up. They’re going to probably get boyfriends, and they might hurt them, which means I’m going to have to take out my knives.”

“Ugh, I’m with you,” Soobin agrees. “Girls, you’re not allowed to date until you’re seventy.”

Byeol looks at Soobin in confusion. “What does ‘date’ mean, daddy?”

“Nothing, sweetie,” Yeonjun says. “Your daddy’s just being weird.”

Byeol stares between her parents in confusion, before she shrugs, and goes back to playing with the twins. Soobin and Yeonjun then start talking amongst themselves, which makes Beomgyu look at Taehyun. The brunette is zoning off again, so Beomgyu lightly shakes his arm, making Taehyun snap back to life.

“You okay, Taehyun?” Beomgyu asks. “You were zoning off again.”

“O-oh, sorry, master,” Taehyun apologizes, ignoring the smirk Yeonjun is giving him. “I-is there anything you need?”

“I’m fine,” Beomgyu assures. “How about you? Are you hungry? You haven’t eaten yet.”

“Is there still food left?” Taehyun questions.

“Yeah,” Beomgyu says. He grabs a plate of food from the cart one of the flight attendants brought to them earlier and hands it to Taehyun. “Eat up, Taehyun.”

The brunette nods, and he starts eating. When he’s halfway through his meal, though, he starts feeling weird. Then he feels bile rising in his throat, and he lets out a groan. He tries to swallow the bile, and fortunately, it goes away. Taehyun goes back to eating, but his vision turns blurry. He blinks rapidly to make it go away, but it doesn’t. He starts feeling weak as well, and he lets go of the plate he’s holding, making it fall to the ground. At the sound of something smashing, everyone looks at Taehyun.

“You okay, Tae?” Soobin asks.

Taehyun looks to see who’s talking to him, but all he sees are blurs of everyone else’s shadows. However, he does fully see Beomgyu and lets out a whine. “M-master…”

“You okay, Taehyun?” he says.

“Uh-uh.” Taehyun shakes his head but then surprises everyone by climbing onto Beomgyu’s lap. He cuddles against Beomgyu and snuggles his head into the crook of the older’s neck. Taehyun clenches the fabric of Beomgyu’s shirt and lets out a needy whine.

“Maybe we should leave you guys alone,” Yeonjun suggests, trying to hide back his smirk.

“Mommy, why is Taehyun-Oppa sitting on Beomgyu-Oppa?” Byeol says, looking at Yeonjun confused.

“Taehyun-Oppa isn’t feeling too well, girls,” Yeonjun says. “Let’s go into the other room to give them privacy.”

“Jun, why are we going to leave them alone?” Soobin quietly questions, grabbing his husband’s sleeve, before he can walk away.

“They obviously need the privacy,” he replies, motioning to Beomgyu and Taehyun. “Let’s give it to them.”

Soobin is a bit hesitant, but he follows behind Yeonjun out of the room, closing the door behind them. Beomgyu and Taehyun are officially alone now, and Taehyun sighs in relief. He lets out a giggle, and before Beomgyu can ask him what’s wrong, he feels a pair of soft lips against his neck, and Taehyun starts pressing soft kisses on the skin. Beomgyu’s eyes slightly widen, and he grips Taehyun’s slim waist as a warning.

“T-Taehyun, what are you doing?” Beomgyu demands.

“I-I’m needy, master,” Taehyun whines. “Please fuck me.”

Beomgyu almost chokes on his own saliva. “E-excuse me?”

“You heard me, master,” Taehyun says with a smirk. He moves to straddle Beomgyu’s lap. 

“This is one of the side effects of the painkillers, isn’t it?” he sighs as he finally realizes why Taehyun is acting like this. “Taehyun, are you high?”

“No,” he frowns. Taehyun whines, and he runs his hand down Beomgyu’s chest. “Come on, master, please. I want to see your sexy body again, and I want your delicious big cock inside of me. I miss it.”

“T-Taehyun-”

“Please,” he whispers.

Beomgyu sighs, and he looks at Taehyun. The brunette just looks back at him with shiny doe eyes, and Beomgyu starts to give in. But then he remembers what he told Taehyun two months ago: he’d execute Taehyun if he ever tried to make a move on him. But if Beomgyu is being honest, he wants the same thing Taehyun wants: to be inside of Taehyun again. Beomgyu misses how Taehyun clenched around him, his addicting moans and whines, and how beautiful he looked with Beomgyu’s hickies all over him. Beomgyu misses the sight, but he knows how _wrong_ it would be. Jisoo would never forgive them, especially Beomgyu, if she found out what they did. Not to mention if they did it more than once. 

“I’m sorry, Taehyun, but no,” Beomgyu says. “I’d be taking advantage of you, too.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Taehyun whines. “Sober Taehyun wants this as much as high me. Please, master. I miss you, and I’m sure you miss me, too.”

Beomgyu can’t argue with Taehyun there, but still. “We can't do it because of Jisoo.”

“She’s not here, master,” he reminds. “Who says she has to ever find out? We’ll keep it a secret.”

Beomgyu stares at Taehyun, not saying anything. Taehyun just stares back at him, and eventually, Beomgyu sighs. He’s had enough, so he cups Taehyun’s face, and slams their lips together for real this time. Taehyun lets out a delicious moan once he feels Beomgyu’s lips back on his own, and entangles his fingers in Beomgyu’s silver strands. The two escalate their kiss, kissing each other hungrily. Taehyun lets out a soft moan, and he grinds down against Beomgyu, especially his lower area. Beomgyu groans and he grips Taehyun’s hips.

“Let’s get rid of these clothes,” Beomgyu mutters as he quickly starts taking off Taehyun’s.

All the brunette can do is nod as he starts doing the same thing to Beomgyu. Soon, their clothes are off, leaving them naked. Taehyun still stays straddling Beomgyu, and the silver-haired male lowers his hands until they’re kneading the skin of Taehyun’s sweet ass. Taehyun moans, and he brings Beomgyu into another kiss. Beomgyu kisses back, but he soon pulls away to start kissing down Taehyun’s neck, sucking and biting on the soft skin as well. Taehyun lets him, pulling on Beomgyu’s silver strands. 

Beomgyu kisses down Taehyun’s neck, collarbones, until he reaches Taehyun’s nipples, and slightly bites them. Taehyun lets out a small yelp, and Beomgyu continues teasing his nipples.

“M-master,” he whines.

“Be a good boy, Taehyunie,” Beomgyu whispers, the nickname falling out of his lips easily. “Can you be a good boy for master?”

“O-okay, master,” Taehyun whimpers. “I-I’ll be a good boy.”

Beomgyu nods, and he goes back to teasing Taehyun’s nipples. Taehyun is sober enough to muffle back his moans with his hand, so the whole plane doesn’t know that two people are having sex on the airplane right now. Fortunately (for taehyun), Beomgyu moves on from the brunette’s nipples and starts kissing down his slightly toned stomach, pressing a raspberry on Taehyun’s belly button, which makes him giggle.

Beomgyu smiles at the sweet sound of Taehyun’s giggle and looks up at him. Taehyun looks back at him, and the two engulf each other in a sweet kiss. Beomgyu takes the chance to grab the bottle of lube he knows the flight attendants keep in the drawers, and he rummages through the drawer until he finds a condom his size. Once he finds it, Beomgyu pours lube onto his fingers, and he slowly enters a finger inside Taehyun’s hole. Taehyun lets out a gasp, but Beomgyu doesn’t let him pull away, keeping their lips locked still.

Beomgyu soon enters another finger inside Taehyun, and scissors the two fingers inside the brunette’s hole. All Taehyun can do is moan against Beomgyu’s lips, and clench Beomgyu’s biceps to help keep him sane. Beomgyu enters a final finger, and he plunges all three deeper inside Taehyun. The brunette keens, squirming against Beomgyu’s hold.

“M-master,” Taehyun wails. 

“What do you want, baby?” Beomgyu asks.

“I want master inside of me already,” Taehyun replies. 

Beomgyu nods. “As you wish, baby.” He takes his fingers out of Taehyun’s hole and spreads the remaining lube on his cock. Beomgyu lightly grips Taehyun’s hips as he aligns his cock with Taehyun’s hole, and slowly enters Taehyun. The younger gasps at the feeling, biting down on his lower lip harshly. Tears brim in his eyes, but he blinks them back. Beomgyu doesn’t fail to notice, and he wipes a brown strand that fell in Taehyun’s face behind his ear. “You okay, Taehyunie?”

“M-mhm,” he replies, nodding. “M-m’just need a bit of time to a-adjust.” Beomgyu nods, and he lets Taehyun adjust to his size. It takes a few moments, but eventually Taehyun sniffles. “Y-you can move now, master.”

“You sure?” Beomgyu asks.

“I-I’m sure,” Taehyun assures. Beomgyu nods, and he slowly starts thrusting up into Taehyun. Since the brunette is straddling Beomgyu, technically, Taehyun should be riding the older, but Taehyun seems as if he must’ve forgotten. Nevertheless, Beomgyu doesn’t mind and continues thrusting up into Taehyun. Beomgyu soon fastens up his pace, knowing he’s going too slow. By the time he’s at his tenth thrust, Taehyun must’ve realized he should be riding Beomgyu since he stops the older. “M-m’sorry, master. I-I forgot I was supposed to ride y-you.”

“It’s okay, baby,” he says. “You sure you want to take over?” Taehyun nods, so Beomgyu leans back to relax, and let Taehyun do all the work now. Taehyun takes a deep breath, before he slightly raises himself, and lowers back down. He does that for a few more times, before he adjusts to a pace, and starts bouncing up and down on Beomgyu’s cock fully. Beomgyu grips Taehyun’s hips to help him move, and Taehyun lets out a whimper whenever Beomgyu’s cock barely brushes against his prostate. Still, Taehyun continues the same pace, and Beomgyu soon stuffs his mouth with a cloth once Taehyun’s moans start getting too loud. “You got to keep it down, baby. You don’t want people to hear us, do you?”

Taehyun shakes his head and muffles a ‘no’ behind the cloth stuffed in his mouth. He keeps on riding Beomgyu until the silver-haired male decides it’s time he helps Taehyun. Beomgyu starts thrusting up again, and Taehyun’s eyes grow wide at the new feeling. He muffles a loud moan, and his bounces meet with Beomgyu’s thrusts. Beomgyu grips Taehyun’s small waist this time and harshly thrusts up into Taehyun. The brunette lets out a loud moan, and Beomgyu stuffs the cloth harder into his mouth once it threatens to fall out.

Feeling overwhelmed, Taehyun stops bouncing on Beomgyu’s cock, letting Beomgyu do all the work. Beomgyu doesn’t mind—he’s done this countless times, anyway. Taehyun’s grip around his shoulders tighten, and Taehyun lets out a small whine of ‘master’ before he cums without any warning. This time, Beomgyu knows he doesn’t have enough time to punish Taehyun, so he lets it go. Beomgyu takes longer than Taehyun, only thrusting up into a limp body until he eventually cums as well into the condom. 

Beomgyu and Taehyun then just sit there, panting as they try to come down from their high. As usual, Beomgyu is the first one to come down, and he smiles as he grabs Taehyun’s face from his shoulder. 

“You okay, Taehyunie?” he questions.

Taehyun nods, and he faintly smiles. “Th-that was amazing, m-master.”

Beomgyu smiles back, and he softly kisses Taehyun’s forehead. “It was. Let’s clean up, and get dressed. I think the others have waited long enough.”

Taehyun nods, and he feels too tired to clean himself up and get dressed, so he lets Beomgyu do it. Beomgyu doesn’t mind, and eventually, he has everything cleaned up, he and Taehyun are fully dressed again, so he gets up to call Soobin and the others back into the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if y’all haven’t figured it out already, gyu has a master kink 😼👀💅🏿


	17. Landed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’ve never been on an airplane, so idk how things work at the airport, so feel free to correct me if anything’s wrong :)
> 
> also, since of the languages in singapore is mandarin, mandarin will b in bold, and since there’s a time difference between seoul and singapore, it’s still daytime by the time they get there

“You guys took long,” Soobin grumbles as he walks back into the room. He starts sitting down on the seat he was on before, but then catches a weird scent. He sniffs, looking at Beomgyu in confusion. “Why does it smell weird in here?”

“Because you have a weird sense of smell,” Yeonjun replies for him. “Bin, maybe you should get some sleep before we land. There’s still six hours and twelve minutes.”

“Ooh, I want to sleep with daddy,” Byeol says. “M’tired, too, mama.”

“Aww, is my baby tired?” he coos as he picks up Byeol.

“Daddy, why are Taehyun-ah’s eyes closed?” Yoonah asks.

“He’s tired, angel,” Beomgyu answers, which isn’t technically a lie. “We should let him sleep.”

“Why is he sleeping?” Yeona says.

“It’s because of his medication, angels,” Beomgyu explains. “If you guys want, you two can go to sleep.”

The twins smile excitedly, and they climb on their father’s lap. Beomgyu happily accepts them in his arms, and the twins lean their small heads against Beomgyu’s chest. Eventually, everyone is asleep, hoping they land in Singapore soon.

\--

Three hours later, Taehyun is the first one to wake up. Which is understandable, since he was the first to fall asleep out of all seven of them. He only fell asleep first because he was tired from having sex with Beomgyu. 

_He was tired from having sex with Beomgyu._

Taehyun gasps, and he clamps his hand over his mouth. His eyes grow wide. No wonder his lower body is slightly sore, especially his hips. Taehyun looks next to him, seeing that he was leaning his head against Beomgyu’s shoulder. Fortunately, Beomgyu is still sleeping, and Taehyun is surprised to see that everyone else is sleeping as well. The twins are all huddled up to Beomgyu, sitting on his lap, whilst Yeonjun leans his head against Soobin’s shoulder, Byeol on Yeonjun’s lap, whilst her hand holds Soobin’s. Taehyun smiles at the scene, and he digs through his pockets until he finds his phone. He swipes right, and his phone takes him to the camera app. He snaps a quick photo and smiles at the picture. 

Now that Taehyun is awake, he doesn’t have anything else to do. Well, he has started learning how to use his phone, but he feels too lazy to use it. He subtly looks around to see what he can do, and barely notices the thirty-inch flat-screen TV nearby. He grabs the control that is close to him, which makes him let out a small hiss at the slight sting in his lower back. 

Taehyun turns the TV on and is surprised to see that he can choose a movie. He chooses _The Secret Life of Pets_ to watch as he waits for the others to start waking up.

The next to wake up is Yeonjun, and he leaves Byeol on Soobin’s lap to sit next to Taehyun. They continue watching _The Secret Life of Pets_ as they wait for the others to wake up. After Yeonjun is Soobin, then Byeol, the twins, and the six happily watch _Secret of the Wings_ together as they wait for Beomgyu to wake up.

Beomgyu must’ve been really tired, though, because he doesn’t wake up until they reach twenty minutes to land. So, in total, Beomgyu slept for five hours and fifty-five minutes. 

“Finally Sleeping Beauty wakes up,” Soobin says sarcastically, being the first to notice Beomgyu awake.

Beomgyu rolls his eyes. “Shut up, hyung.”

“How was your nap?” Yeonjun asks. “Did you sleep well?”

Beomgyu nods. “Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“Well, you usually don’t have enough sleep, or you having trouble doing so,” Soobin says. 

“Oh, well, I’m fine,” Beomgyu assures. “How long until we land?”

“Twenty minutes,” Yeonjun says as he checks the time.

Beomgyu’s eyes widen. _“Twenty minutes?_ For how long was I asleep?”

“Five hours and fifty-five minutes,” Byeol replies.

Everyone else’s eyes slightly widen, and they stare at Byeol in shock.

“H-how do you know, Byeol?” Soobin asks.

“I guessed,” she giggles, shrugging.

“She’s right, though,” Yeonjun says, doing the math in his head. He smiles down at Byeol and squishes her cheeks together. “Oh, my baby girl is so smart.”

“Heh, thanks, mommy,” she says, muffled.

“Are we going to land soon, then?” Yoonah questions.

“Yeah,” Beomgyu assures. “Just be patient, angel.”

Everyone and everything quietens down, which makes Taehyun feels awkward. He’s averting Beomgyu, or even making eye contact with him, and avoids speaking up. He doesn’t want Beomgyu’s attention on him, especially since they had, you know, sex for the first time in a while. Taehyun lets out a quiet shaky sigh and continues watching the movie on the TV.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone feels the plane starts slowing down, and not long after, they hear one of the pilots announcing: “Ladies and gentlemen, get ready because we will be landing in Singapore in ten minutes.”

“Finally,” Soobin mutters in relief.

Yeonjun smiles at his husband’s comment, and the seven wait until the plane lands. When it does, everyone gets up. Well, everyone except Taehyun, since once he tries to, pain immediately shoots up his Achilles heel, and he forgot that his heel is injured.

“G-guys, I need help,” he finally speaks up.

“Why?” Yeonjun inquires. “You okay?”

“M-my heel,” Taehyun says. “I-it’s hurting again.”

“Your painkillers are in your suitcase that’s in the airport,” Beomgyu mutters. “We’re going to have to carry you, Tae.”

“Do you think they’ll be suspicious?” Soobin asks.

“No,” Beomgyu replies. “They don’t have slaves here in Singapore, which is good.” The rest get their stuff, and Soobin and Yeonjun help with Beomgyu’s since he’s going to be too busy carrying Taehyun. Soobin, Yeonjun, and the girls leave their space, whilst Beomgyu and Taehyun stay behind. “Jump on my back. It’ll be less suspicious.”

Taehyun nods, a bit surprised Beomgyu hasn’t mentioned their sexy time earlier. Taehyun climbs onto Beomgyu’s back, wrapping his arms around Beomgyu’s neck, doing the same to his legs to Beomgyu’s waist. Beomgyu places his hands underneath Taehyun’s thighs to make sure he doesn’t fall off, and they get out of the space they were in. They get out of the plane, and head inside the airport. They meet up with the others, go through security, grab their extra luggage, before going outside.

“We rented a car after buying the tickets, right?” Yeonjun says as they look for the car they rented.

“Yeah,” Taehyun says. “Isn’t it that car over there?” He points to a white SUV nearby, a male getting out of the car.

“Yeah,” Beomgyu answers.

The seven walk over there, and once they arrive, the male that got out of the car looks up at them with a smile.

 **“Which one of you is Choi Beomgyu?”** he questions.

 **“I am,”** Beomgyu responds. Since he’s one of the most famous CEOs in Korea, and even in the whole world, he had to learn multiple languages, so, fortunately, he knows Mandarin. **“Is this the car I rented?”**

 **“Yes, sir,”** the male says. He motions to the rest. **“Is this your family?”**

 **“Ah, no,”** Beomgyu chuckles. **“The ones with blue and black hair are my friends, the twin girls are my daughters, the other girl is my friends’ daughter, and the brunette is…my boyfriend.”**

 **“Ah, boyfriend?”** The male doesn’t look disgusted at all—instead, he has a smile on his face. **“How long have you two been together?”**

 **“Almost three months,”** Beomgyu says, which isn’t really a lie, since Taehyun became his slave almost three months ago. Just the boyfriend part is a lie, but will hopefully soon become the truth.

 **“Oh, that’s good for you, Mr. Choi,”** the male says. **“Enjoy your stay here.”**

 **“Thank you, I will,”** Beomgyu says.

The male nods and he smiles at them before he leaves. Beomgyu lets out a small sigh before he places Taehyun in the car.

“Th-thank you, master,” he says.

“Of course,” Beomgyu says before he closes the door behind Taehyun.

“What were you and the guy talking about, Beom?” Soobin asks, surprising the younger.

“We were just talking about the car,” he lies. “Why?”

“You guys were talking for a while,” Yeonjun says. 

“I was just asking questions to make sure the car is in good shape,” Beomgyu says, which makes him realize he should’ve done it for real.

Soobin and Yeonjun look at each other before they look back at Beomgyu. “Whatever you say, Beom.”

\--

Around two hours later, the seven stop in front of the beach house Soobin and Yeonjun got tickets for. The beach is isolated, with no other person or people in sight, as well as houses. Beomgyu parks in front of the house, and they all look at it in slight amazement.

“Wow, the house looks _nice_ , hyungs,” Taehyun says.

“That’s why we mainly bought tickets,” Soobin chuckles. “It has three rooms, though, so we’re going to have to share rooms.”

“Ooh, can we three sleep together?!” Byeol and the twins ask in unison.

“Sure, girls,” Yeonjun allows. “Just make sure to keep the room tidy, okay?”

“Okay!”

Everyone except Taehyun then gets out, and Taehyun waits for Beomgyu to come to him. Beomgyu doesn’t take long, and he opens the door to the side Taehyun is in. This time, Beomgyu hooks his arms underneath Taehyun’s knees and back, picking him up bridal style. As usual, Taehyun wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck, and Beomgyu carries him inside the house. The house is way nicer than how it looks outside, and Taehyun’s mouth drops in shock.

“Wow,” he says in amazement. _“This_ is where we’re going to be living for a _week_ , master.”

“Cool, right?” Beomgyu agrees. 

(if he’s being honest, beomgyu has been in better houses, but only because he’s rich. taehyun isn’t, so beomgyu decides to agree with taehyun, instead of saying anything else.)

“Are you guys going to need any help carrying the stuff in?” Taehyun questions.

“We’ll be fine,” Beomgyu assures. “You just stay here until I come for you.”

“Okay, master,” Taehyun says.

Beomgyu nods, and he turns to go help the others. The girls only carry small and light stuff, whilst their parents bring in the suitcases and heavier stuff. The girls join and keep Taehyun company as they wait for the others to finish.

“Is that everything?” Soobin inquires as he and the other two walk inside the house carrying suitcases.

“Hopefully, yeah,” Yeonjun mutters as he places down the suitcase he’s carrying with a grunt.

“Can we go to the water now?” Byeol says excitedly and hopefully.

“We need to unpack first, Byeol,” Beomgyu reminds. “Then we can go to the beach.”

“Wait, who’s going to get what room?” Taehyun asks. “There’s only three.”

“Well, Yeonjun and I can share a room,” Soobin says. “The girls will share the other. That leaves…”

“Beom and Tae,” Yeonjun finishes with a small smirk. “You two will share a room.”

Beomgyu shrugs. “I don’t have a problem with that.” He looks at Taehyun. “Do you have a problem with that, Taehyun?”

The brown-haired male feels his face heating up, averting eye contact with Beomgyu as he looks down at the floor. “N-no I don’t.”

Yeonjun squeals, clapping his hands. “It’s all settled, then! Come on, girls, let’s go see your room.”

“Yay!” the girls squeal as well, running after Yeonjun.

“Beom, carry Tae up to your guys’ room, and come help me carry these upstairs,” Soobin says.

Beomgyu nods. “Come on, Taehyun. Let’s go to the room.”

Taehyun nods this time, trying not to think about how dirty Beomgyu’s words sound. Beomgyu picks him up bridal style, and Taehyun wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck. Beomgyu carries him upstairs until they reach their room, and they are both surprised to see that there’s only one huge king-sized bed, no other bed in sight. 

“Th-there’s only one bed?” he mutters.

“I guess,” Beomgyu says. “That’s okay. I can just sleep downstairs on the couch.”

“The couch is too small for you, master,” Taehyun says pointedly. “Th-the bed is big enough to fit both of us. Y-you don’t have a problem sharing, do you?”

“N-no,” Beomgyu says.

“Then we’ll sleep on the same bed,” Taehyun says.

Beomgyu nods, and he places Taehyun down on the bed. “Are your bandages okay?”

“No,” he replies. “They were taken out before we entered the airport.”

“Right,” Beomgyu mutters. “I’ll put them on again, and I’ll go help Soobin-hyung. I’ll come back to you, so I can help you get ready for the beach. Is that okay?”

Taehyun nods. “Y-yes, master.”

“Um, about calling me ‘master’,” Beomgyu says hesitantly, “just call me ‘hyung’ instead.”

“O-okay, m- hyung,” Taehyun says, knowing why Beomgyu wants him to call him ‘hyung’ instead of ‘master.’

Beomgyu nods, and he finally leaves his and Taehyun’s room. He walks downstairs and starts helping Soobin out with the suitcases. They place the suitcases in their respective rooms before they start unpacking. Beomgyu unpacks his and Taehyun’s clothes and other goods, Taehyun helping him fold the clothes, whilst he sits on the bed. Once everyone is done, they all change into beach appropriate clothes, and Beomgyu waits in the bathroom that’s in his and Taehyun’s room, whilst he waits for Taehyun to finish changing.

Taehyun soon announces he’s done, so Beomgyu comes back into the room, surprised to see Taehyun dressed in a light blue tie-front Cuban collar crop top and white shorts, showing his nice, smooth, tan, slim legs. Beomgyu gulps internally, but plasters a fake small smile on his face as he walks toward Taehyun. Beomgyu picks up the younger bridal style again, and Taehyun wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck. Since Taehyun still can’t walk or run properly, he’s just going to sit on a beach chair, whilst he watches the others play in the water or sand, or tan underneath the sun, even though he’s already tan.

“Are the others already outside, hyung?” Taehyun asks as they go down the stairs.

“Yeah,” Beomgyu replies. “I think they’re setting everything up.”

Taehyun nods, and they finally walk outside. They see Soobin and Yeonjun sitting down on the blanket they laid on the ground with the girls, unpacking the stuff they put in the basket. There’s already an empty beach chair for Taehyun, which is good since Beomgyu won’t have to take one out for him.

“We’re here,” Beomgyu announces.

“Daddy!” Yoonah squeals. “Can Yeo and I play in the water?”

“You can until daddy joins you,” Beomgyu says, “or else you’ll drown.”

“What does ‘drown’ mean?” Yeona asks.

“When you can’t breathe underwater, and eventually…” Beomgyu quickly racks his brain to try to find another word for ‘die’ that isn’t so harsh.

“Until eventually, you’re in heaven,” Taehyun finishes. “You wouldn’t be on Earth anymore, and you’d make a lot of people sad, twins.”

“Oh,” they say in unison.

“Okay, we’ll wait, daddy,” Yoonah promises.

“Thank you,” Beomgyu says, before whispering the same thing to Taehyun. The brunette nods, and Beomgyu places him down on the beach chair.

“Are you guys hungry yet?” Soobin questions.

“No,” Byeol replies. “I want to get into the water already, daddy!”

“Me, too!” Yeona agrees.

“Me three!” Yoonah adds.

“Fine, fine,” Soobin sighs, getting up. “The last one in the water is a rotten egg!”

Immediately, the girls start running, as well as Beomgyu. Since the silver-haired male has longer legs than the girls he beats them, and surprisingly Soobin as well. Beomgyu lets out a laugh, and he points to the other three mockingly. Soobin and the girls nod to each other, before they push Beomgyu into the water, drenching him.

“Hey, that isn’t fair!” he complains.

“Haha,” Soobin shoots back in the same tone Beomgyu used on them earlier.

A water fight then breaks out between the five, splashing each other with water. Taehyun lets out a giggle, shaking his head at them, and secretly wishing he can join the fun.

“We’re in love with such idiots,” Yeonjun suddenly says, startling Taehyun.

“Oh, hyung, you scared me,” he says, looking at Yeonjun. “Aren’t you going to join the others?”

Yeonjun shrugs. “Soon. I want to tan first, and spend time with you.”

Taehyun wasn’t expecting the last part, but he smiles. “Okay, then. Let’s tan.”

For the next two hours, the seven spend it playing in the water, sand, or tanning. Well, the other six do—Taehyun just spends his time tanning, or sitting on the beach chair, watching the others play. Eventually, the girls start getting hungry, and Yeonjun agrees with them, so everyone except Taehyun gets out of the water to start preparing the food.

“Should we do barbecue?” Soobin suggests.

“Is there even a barbecue here?” Beomgyu asks.

“I think there’s one in the garage,” Soobin mutters, starting to walk toward the house.

Beomgyu follows behind him. “There’s a garage?”

“Taehyun-Oppa, are you going to get into the water?” Byeol questions.

“I can’t, Byeol,” Taehyun reminds. “My heel still hurts. Did _you_ guys have fun in the water?”

“Of course!” Yoonah replies excitedly. “It was so much fun!”

“It was, but now I’m hungry,” Yeona adds with a pout.

“Your daddy’s coming out soon with the food, Yeo,” Yeonjun assures. “Do you guys want to eat barbecue?”

“Ooh, yeah,” Byeol replies. “Barbecue’s yummy.”

“It is,” Yoonah agrees. “But now I’m getting hungrier even thinking about barbecue.”

Yeonjun and Taehyun chuckle at Yoonah, and soon Soobin and Beomgyu come out of the garage. Soobin is carrying the barbecue, whilst Beomgyu is carrying the bags of meat and spices. 

“We’re back,” Soobin announces, placing the barbecue down on the sand. 

“Does the barbecue need coal?” Yeonjun asks.

“Right, I knew I was forgetting something,” Beomgyu mutters. He places down the bags of meat before he returns to the garage to get the coal.

“Bring the tongs, too!” Soobin calls after Beomgyu, realizing they forgot that as well.

“You guys are so forgetful,” Yeonjun sighs, shaking his head.

“Hey, so are you,” Soobin frowns.

“At least I didn’t forget the day we started dating,” Yeonjun grumbles, rolling his eyes.

“You’re still mad over that?” Soobin says, raising an eyebrow. “I was just kidding back then, Yeonjun. I remember now.”

Byeol gasps, which makes everyone look at her.

“What’s wrong, Byeol?” Taehyun asks. 

“Daddy called mommy by his real name,” Byeol explains. “He _never_ does that, unless he’s really annoyed.”

“She’s right,” Yeonjun sighs. “We need to calm down.”

“Right,” Soobin agrees. “M’sorry, Jun.”

Yeonjun smiles. “It’s fine, Bin. I’m sorry, too.”

The two then peck each other’s lips, which makes Taehyun smile, whilst the girls gag jokingly. The Yeonbin couple shake their heads at the girls before they all notice Beomgyu coming back with the coal.

“Took you long enough,” Soobin says as he goes help Beomgyu.

“It’s not my fault I couldn’t find it,” he huffs.

“Kinda is, because you’re a noob,” Yeonjun says.

“And you’re not?”

Taehyun groans. “Not this again. Can’t we just eat in peace, hyungs?”

“Fine,” the Chois say in unison, not even surprised that they all spoke at the same time.

Soobin starts the barbecue, placing the coal in it. The coal soon catches on fire, so Beomgyu places the meat on the barbecue. They all get handed plates and start eating. Once they’re full, everyone except Taehyun goes play in the water. Thirty minutes later, the sun is already starting to set, so everyone else comes back onto the sand to watch the sunset together.

“Bin, get your camera out,” Yeonjun says. “The sky looks pretty.”

Soobin nods, and he gets his phone out from the basket they took out. He takes a quick photo of the sky, before bringing in everyone for a selfie. Everyone smiles in it, and the girls take one of all of them having silly faces. Everyone laughs at the picture before they all lay back to watch the sunset. Soobin, Yeonjun, and Byeol are all cuddled up together, even though they’re wet, and Beomgyu and the twins are the same. But he doesn’t forget about Taehyun, glancing at him. The brunette is looking up at the sky with a small smile on his face, but his lips turn into a small ‘o’ when the sun starts going down. Beomgyu smiles at the sight but really wishes he can be cuddled up next to Taehyun, whilst the twins—or hell, even their _own_ children—can be cuddled in between them, whilst they watch the sunset.

“Wow,” Taehyun says, as the sky finally turns dark. “That was pretty.”

“It was,” Beomgyu agrees. He looks down, seeing that the twins have fallen asleep on his lap. Beomgyu smiles, and he kisses the top of their heads, but he still needs to wake them up. They can’t sleep in their wet clothes, or they might catch a cold. “Angels, wake up. Look, there’s a unicorn coming your way.”

“Mm, daddy,” Yoonah softly whines. “M-m’tired.”

“I know you are, angel,” Beomgyu says. “Once you guys shower, you guys can sleep.”

“O-okay, daddy,” Yeona agrees, too tired to complain.

“Can you take Taehyun inside, Soobin-hyung?” Beomgyu asks as he stands up with the twins in his arms.

“Sure,” Soobin assures.

“Thanks,” Beomgyu says before he turns to walk inside their beach house.

“Mommy, I’m tired,” Byeol softly complains. 

“Let’s take a shower first, and then we’ll sleep,” Yeonjun says, picking Byeol up. He turns to look at Soobin. “Are you going to be okay with Taehyun?”

“Yeah,” Soobin replies. “Goodnight, Byeol.”

“Goodnight, daddy,” she returns, resting her head on Yeonjun’s shoulder.

The two leave, so Soobin turns to Taehyun. “You okay with me picking you up, Tae?”

“Yeah,” he says. “Thanks, hyung.”

Soobin nods and lets Taehyun climb onto his back. Unlike Beomgyu, Soobin prefers to piggyback Taehyun, instead of picking him up bridal style. Especially since he doesn’t feel anything romantic toward him. Soobin carries Taehyun into the beach house, and up toward his and Beomgyu’s room, placing him down on the bed. 

“Do you want to be here, or in the bathroom, so you can shower?” Soobin asks.

“Um, here,” Taehyun replies. “I want to wait for Beomgyu-hyung.”

Soobin nods. “By the way, why did you start calling Beom ‘hyung’?” I thought he preferred ‘master.’”

 _Well, he does, but only whilst we’re having sex_ is what Taehyun would have said if he was brave enough, and knew Soobin wouldn’t care about his and Beomgyu’s affair, but he doesn’t. “H-he prefers ‘hyung’ more now.”

“Ah, okay,” Soobin says. “Well, goodnight, Tae.”

“Goodnight, hyung,” he returns.

Soobin walks out of Beomgyu’s and Taehyun’s room, and Taehyun waits until Beomgyu comes back. Beomgyu does around fifteen minutes later, smiling at Taehyun as he walks inside the room.

“Hey,” he greets. “You ready to take a shower?”

“Yeah,” Taehyun answers. “I just need to get my clothes.”

Beomgyu nods, and he heads toward where he put Taehyun’s clothes, which is the closet. Beomgyu takes out some sweats and places them in the bathroom. He comes back, and picks up Taehyun bridal style, carrying him to the bathroom.

“Let me know if you need any help,” Beomgyu says, walking to the door.

“I will,” Taehyun assures. “Thanks, hyung.”

Beomgyu nods, and he walks out of the bathroom to give Taehyun some privacy. Taehyun takes a quick, warm shower, before calling out for Beomgyu. The male picks him up bridal style again, and as he carries him out of the bathroom, a phone suddenly starts ringing.

“Is that yours or mine?” Beomgyu asks.

“I think it’s yours, hyung,” Taehyun replies.

Beomgyu quickly places Taehyun down on the bed and searches for his phone through his stuff. He eventually finds it, and takes it out, checking to see who’s calling him:

Jisoo and she wants to FaceTime.

“Who is it?” Taehyun questions.

“Jisoo,” Beomgyu mutters.

“O-oh,” Taehyun says in a small voice. He had forgotten about Jisoo for a while. “A-answer, then, hyung.”

“R-right.” Beomgyu is then quick to answer the call, Jisoo’s face popping onto the screen.

“Hi, dear,” she greets. “Ooh, there’s a new background. Are you guys in Singapore yet?”

“Y-yeah,” Beomgyu answers before he clears his throat to stop stuttering. He slightly turns the phone, so Jisoo can see Taehyun. “Taehyun’s here, too.”

“Hi, Tae!” she says excitedly.

Taehyun smiles, and he slightly waves. “Hi, noona.”

“How is your heel doing?” she inquires.

“Better,” Taehyun replies. “I should be able to walk by tomorrow.”

“That’s good,” Jisoo says. “Are you guys having fun so far?”

“Yeah,” Taehyun says. “We wish you could be here, though, noona.” _Well, I don’t really wish you were here, and I think neither does Beomgyu, because then we wouldn’t be able to have sex, but you don’t need to know that._

“Yeah, I wish I was there, too,” Jisoo agrees. “Where are the twins?”

“They’re sleeping already,” Beomgyu answers, turning the phone back to him. “They had a long day.”

Jisoo chuckles. “I figured. Do they like Singapore?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu says. “They even like the fact that they have to share a room with each other and Byeol.”

Jisoo hums in response. “How are the other Chois doing, by the way?”

“Fine,” Beomgyu responds. “I still need to thank them for letting us come with them on the trip.”

“Thank them later,” Jisoo says. “What time is it over there?”

“7:26,” Beomgyu says. “Where are you right now?”

“New York,” Jisoo sighs. “It’s e8:26 in the morning, so there’s only a thirteen-hour difference between us.”

“Shouldn’t you be in a meeting, then?” Beomgyu asks.

“I should,” Jisoo groans. “I just wanted to check up on you guys. But you’re right, dear. I should get back. Get some rest. Goodnight, dear.”

“Goodnight,” Beomgyu returns.

“Goodnight, Tae!” Jisoo calls out.

“Goodnight, noona,” he calls back.

“Bye, dear,” Beomgyu says. He and Jisoo wave to each other before Beomgyu ends their call. Beomgyu sighs in relief, and he places his phone down. “Which side do you want to sleep on, Taehyun?”

“I don’t really care, but I’ll sleep on this side, since I’m already on it, hyung,” he replies. 

“Okay,” Beomgyu says. He gets up from the bed with a sigh. “I’ma go shower. If you fall asleep, then goodnight, Taehyun.”

“G-goodnight,” he mutters. “Wait, hyung.”

Beomgyu raises an eyebrow, and he turns to Taehyun. “Yeah?”

“A-are we ever going to talk about what h-happened?” he asks nervously, looking up at Beomgyu.

The silver-haired male looks at Taehyun confused. “What do you mean?”

“W-what happened earlier in the p-plane, h-hyung.”

“What happened on the plane?” Beomgyu questions. But before Taehyun can reply, Beomgyu realizes what Taehyun is talking about, and he lets out a small, “Oh. That.”

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun mumbles, a bit nervous. “A-are we ever going to talk about th-that?”

“After I shower,” Beomgyu promises. 

“O-okay,” Taehyun says, not sure if Beomgyu is telling the truth or not.

Beomgyu nods, and he turns to go into the bathroom. Taehyun soon hears the water go off, and ten minutes later, Beomgyu steps out of the bathroom, dressed in only a white shirt and black plaid pajama pants. His silver hair is wet, which makes his bangs fall in his eyes. Taehyun probably falls more in love with Beomgyu at the sight but shakes his head at the thought.

“So, you want to talk?” Beomgyu says surprisingly.

“Y-yes,” Taehyun replies. “D-do you?”

“Sure,” Beomgyu says. “We need to, anyway.”

Taehyun nods. “C-can I ask the first question?”

“Okay,” Beomgyu allows.

“W-why did you agree to have…sex with me?”

Beomgyu was expecting that question, but at the same time, he wasn’t. He sighs, and he sits down next to Taehyun. “Because, to be honest, I missed the feeling, Taehyun. I missed the feeling of us having sex, and being inside you. And also because I like having sex more with you than with Jisoo.”

Taehyun wasn’t expecting the last part, so his eyes widen. “W-why not?”

Beomgyu shrugs. “Sex with her is a bit...boring.”

Taehyun nods. “S-speaking of noona, h-how are we going to keep it from her? Doesn’t she know when you’re lying?”

“Not really,” Beomgyu mutters. “She’s smart, but not always. I could tell her I became a unicorn, and she’d believe me.”

Taehyun lets out a small giggle. “Are you for real, hyung?”

“Well, no, but I could tell her I lost my job, and she’d believe me,” Beomgyu chuckles. “I can never lose my job because my company is under my name. I was the one who started it.”

“That’s true, I guess,” Taehyun mumbles. “What about the twins? What if they find out?”

“They’re too young to understand anything, which is good,” Beomgyu reminds. “But they still would tell Jisoo if they saw us in the same bed together, naked, so I guess we have to keep it from them, too.”

“O-okay,” Taehyun says. “Are we going to continue doing this?”

Beomgyu looks at Taehyun in the eye. “Do _you_ want to?” Taehyun’s face turns red, and he immediately looks down at the bedsheet. But he soon feels a hand softly touch his jaw, and tilt it, so he can look up at Beomgyu. “Answer me, Taehyun.” 

“Y-yes, hyung,” he admits. “I-I know it’s wrong, but…I want to. I-I’d get it if you d-don’t-”

Taehyun is shut up when he suddenly feels Beomgyu’s lips on his, Beomgyu touching his jaw gently. Taehyun’s eyes widen, but he eventually melts into the kiss, kissing Beomgyu back. Beomgyu is the first one to pull away, and he smiles at Taehyun.

“I want to,” Beomgyu assures.

“B-but what about Jisoo?” Taehyun asks with a small frown, still a bit dazed from the kiss.

“She’s going to be gone for a while,” Beomgyu says. “We have a lot of time to be together, Taehyun. When she returns, we’ll stop, but we don’t have to forever.”

“But what if noona finds out?” Taehyun says. “She’ll be heartbroken, and I don’t think I can continue doing this behind Jisoo’s back. Sh-she doesn’t deserve it.”

“Well, then we’ll end it once she comes back,” Beomgyu suggests. “Is that good?”

Taehyun nods, even though he’s not sure if he wants to even end their affair when Jisoo _does_ come back. “Y-yes, hyung.”


	18. Back

For the rest of the week, Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, Byeol, Yoonah, and Yeona spend it in Singapore. Fortunately, Taehyun’s heel doesn’t hurt anymore when he puts pressure on it the next day that they arrived there, so he can hang out and play with the others in the water and sand. They all enjoy their time there, and of course, Beomgyu and Taehyun have their _own_ fun with each other.

(ex. kissing, making out, pushing each other up against walls, sucking each other off, having sex in their bedroom, kitchen, in the counter, against the wall, in the shower, in the living room—mostly anywhere you can think of, really. _especially_ outside on the beach, that’s their most favorite spot. taehyun can have his back against beomgyu’s chest as he rides beomgyu, the two watching the ocean shimmer underneath the moon’s luminous beauty.)

(of course, they did this all whilst everyone is asleep—they don’t want anyone to find out about their secret, now, do they?)

(well, yeonjun’s the only one who knows, but it’d still be awkward and weird if he found beomgyu balls deep inside taehyun.)

Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, and Taehyun are all downstairs, whilst the girls are upstairs in their room sleeping. It is the day before they have to leave Singapore, and head back to South Korea.

“I kinda don’t want to go back home,” Soobin says as he takes a sip of his coffee. “Everything here is so pretty.”

“Yeah, but I’m getting homesick,” Yeonjun frowns. “Besides, the girls need to go back to school.”

“School sucks,” Soobin says.

“Preach,” Beomgyu agrees, and he and Soobin clink their cups together. 

Taehyun giggles, seated away from Beomgyu by barely two inches away. “Is it really?”

Soobin nods. He’s about to open his mouth to ask Taehyun if he doesn’t remember before he realizes Taehyun never went to school; slaves aren’t allowed to. “Yeah. You have to study a lot, and it just wastes a lot of your time. I’m just glad I already graduated.”

“Wow,” he says. “Good thing I never went to school, then.”

“Lucky you,” Yeonjun sighs. “By the way, Beom, did you and Jisoo alert the government that Taehyun is with Momo-noona?”

“I…actually don’t remember,” Beomgyu mutters as he takes out his phone. He quickly sends Jisoo a message, and a minute later, she replies. Beomgyu sighs in relief once he reads it. “Yeah, we did.”

“W-what would’ve happened if you didn’t, hyung?” Taehyun asks.

“The government would’ve found out we took you out of the country, and imprison us,” Beomgyu explains.

“O-oh.”

“Speaking of which,” Soobin says, “what if they recognize Taehyun back in Korea? People in the law enforcement need to remember slaves’ faces, so they know whether or not to let them out of the country, or know what to do with them.”

“We’ll just say it’s someone who looks like him,” Beomgyu says, shrugging. “Bonus point if the guard is foreign.”

“Racist bastards,” Yeonjun grumbles under his breath.

Taehyun giggles. “Thanks, by the way, hyungs, for taking us with you again.”

“Of course,” Soobin says with a smile. “Anything for our best buds.”

The four continue talking some more for the next hour until the clock strikes midnight. 

“Aite, well, we should go to sleep now,” Yeonjun says as he notices the time. “The flight’s at eleven tomorrow, which means we have to have everything packed by ten.”

Beomgyu sighs, getting up. “That’s a lot of work.”

“It is,” Taehyun agrees, yawning. “Good thing we have most of our stuff packed, though.”

Soobin nods in agreement. “Yeah. Goodnight, you two.”

“Goodnight, hyungs,” Beomgyu and Taehyun say in unison. They’ve been doing that a lot—speaking and doing things at the same time.

Soobin and Yeonjun wave to Beomgyu and Taehyun, before they walk up the stairs, heading to their bedroom. Beomgyu and Taehyun quickly wash the cups they used, before they head upstairs to their bedroom as well. They’re already dressed in their pajamas, so they head to the bathroom, brush their teeth, lay on the bed, and start falling asleep, cuddled up against each other.

\--

The next morning, everyone is awake by the time it is seven-thirty. They finish packing the stuff they haven’t, eat a quick breakfast, before packing everything in their SUV. Yeonjun gets in the driver’s seat, and they start driving to the airport. They go through security, drop their luggage off, wait until their gate number is called before they get back on the plane. They obviously get first class again, and Beomgyu and Taehyun have a quickie in the bathroom, before returning to their space with the others.

They land back in Ansan-si, South Korea hours later, and they get off the plane. They get their luggage, go through security again, and manage to not get suspected by the guards because of Taehyun. 

“It feels nice to be back in my hometown,” Soobin says as they walk out of the airport.

“So many memories,” Yeonjun adds.

“Yeah,” Beomgyu agrees with a small sigh. He looks at Soobin and Yeonjun. “So, I guess this is where we’re heading our separate ways.”

“Yeah,” Soobin says. “Thanks for agreeing to come with us, guys.”

“Of course, hyung,” Taehyun says as he hugs Soobin back. “We had a lot of fun.”

“We’re glad,” Yeonjun says. “You know, Tae, we should hang by ourselves one day.”

“We should,” he agrees. “Just say when, and I’ll be there.”

Yeonjun smiles. “Deal.”

They continue saying bye and thanking each other before they each get in a separate taxi. Beomgyu, Taehyun, and the twins all get on one, whilst Soobin, Yeonjun, and Byeol get on another. Once they’re inside the taxi, Beomgyu tells the driver to drive them a block away from their house, and the driver is quick to comply.

\--

“Home sweet home,” Beomgyu says as they all walk inside the Chois’ mansion.

“Ah, homey, I missed you!” Yoonah says, dropping her bags by the door. “Did you miss us?”

“Yoo, the house can’t answer you,” Yeona giggles.

“That’s no fun,” Yoonah pouts.

Taehyun chuckles. “Are you guys still hungry? I can make you guys a small breakfast.”

“Oh, yes, please,” Beomgyu replies, slightly surprising Taehyun. “I miss your breakfast and cooking a lot, Tyun.”

The brown-haired male shyly nods, still not used at the new nickname Beomgyu has been calling him lately. “W-what will you guys like for breakfast?”

“Waffles!” the twins say in unison.

“Your waffles are really yummy, Taehyun-ah,” Yeona says, licking her lips.

Taehyun smiles, and he slightly ruffles Yeona’s hair. “Thanks, Yeo.”

“We’ll put our stuff in our room, and we’ll be back,” Beomgyu tells Taehyun. “Do you want me to put your stuff in your room, too?”

“I-I can do that myself, hyung,” Taehyun assures.

“I can do it, Tyun,” Beomgyu says.

“O-okay, then, hyung,” Taehyun allows.

Beomgyu nods, and he grabs his and Taehyun’s stuff, before walking up the stairs with the twins. Taehyun stares after them until they disappear. Taehyun sighs, and he walks toward the kitchen to start making their breakfast. Around five minutes later, he hears footsteps going down the stairs, and he thinks it’s either Yoonah or Yeona. They always like coming downstairs to watch him cook, or just talk with him or something.

But what Taehyun doesn’t expect is for someone to wrap their arms around his slim waist, and pull him closer until his back touches their chest. Without even having to turn around, Taehyun knows it’s Beomgyu.

“The food is already starting to look delicious, Tyun,” he says.

“I haven’t even put the batter on the stove yet, Gyu,” Taehyun giggles. 

“Still,” Beomgyu mutters. He digs his head deeper into the crook of Taehyun’s neck, and it isn’t long before Taehyun feels soft kisses being pressed against the skin of his neck.

“Gyu,” he softly whines, “not now.”

“Why not?” Beomgyu mutters against Taehyun’s skin.

“The twins might come down at any second.” 

“They won’t.” 

“And how do you know that?”

“They’re too busy watching _Super Why_.”

“Oh my god, that show is so amazing.”

“You think just like them, so they’ll be occupied for a while,” Beomgyu says. “We have time, Tyun.”

“Wasn’t the round we had in the plane enough?” 

“No,” Beomgyu huffs. “It was too quick and cramped. Besides, I couldn’t hear your very addicting moans, whilst-”

“Daddy, daddy, daddy!”

The sound of the twins’ squealing makes Beomgyu immediately pull away from Taehyun, making sure there’s a reasonable distance between them. Taehyun shakes his head at Beomgyu and continues to cook.

“H-hi, twins,” he greets. “I thought you guys were watching _Super Why_.”

“It got boring,” Yoonah frowns. “The dumb commercials were on.”

Beomgyu doesn’t bother scolding Yoonah for her language, since he thinks commercials are dumb as well. “But I thought no matter what, you guys will still watch your favorite show.”

“Well, yeah, but one of the dumb commercials showed something interesting, daddy!” Yeona says. “Come, we’ll show you!”

Beomgyu sighs, and he glances at Taehyun. The brunette nods back to him, so Beomgyu lets the twins drag them up to his room. Taehyun is now left alone again, which he doesn’t mind. He continues making the waffles in peace and is soon done nine minutes later. Even then, Beomgyu and the twins still don’t show up. Taehyun sighs, and decides to set the table up by himself, serving the waffles on the plates. He places the syrups, utensils, and cups on the dining table before he pours milk in the twins’ cup and coffee in his and Beomgyu’s cup. 

“Guys, the food’s ready!” Taehyun calls out.

“We’ll be there soon!” Beomgyu calls back.

Taehyun sighs, and puts away the stuff he used to make the waffles. He washes the dishes he used to make the ingredients and cleans the kitchen countertop a bit. Still, the other three don’t show up when he's done, which makes Taehyun shake his head. He decides to go check up on them and heads up the stairs to go to the twins’ room. He arrives a few seconds later and isn’t surprised to see that Beomgyu and the twins are playing Mario Kart.

“Really, guys?”

Beomgyu slightly turns around to glance at Taehyun. “Hi, Tyun. Wanna join?”

“Thanks, but no,” he replies. “The food’s going to get cold if you guys don’t come down now.”

“The food can wait,” Yoonah mutters. “I’m about to beat daddy and Yeo.”

“Who says?” she says.

 _“I_ do,” Yoonah replies. “Get ready to lose, little sis.”

Taehyun sighs and decides to wait for the three to finish playing. He leans against the doorframe of the twins’ bedroom and watches as Yoonah indeed beat Yeona, but Beomgyu beats the two of them.

“Ha!” he cheers. “I won!”

“No fair,” Yeona pouts, crossing her arms. “You cheated, daddy.”

“How?” he demands. “I didn’t, angels. I only won because I’m superior.”

“Sure you are,” Taehyun scoffs.

Beomgyu stares at Taehyun in shock. “Tyun, you were supposed to have my back.”

“Well, too bad,” he says. “You would’ve if you didn’t make my food turn cold.”

“Oh, right, food,” Yoonah says. “I forgot about that.”

Taehyun rolls his eyes, getting off the doorframe. “Come on, then, twins. Let’s go eat.”

“Yes, sir!” they say in unison as they run past Taehyun, and down the stairs.

Taehyun doesn’t bother saying anything to the twins about their running, knowing they won’t hurt themselves. As he walks down the stairs, he feels an arm wrapping itself around his small waist, and pulling him closer to the person’s side.

“Hey,” Beomgyu greets with a cheeky smile.

Taehyun glances at him. “Hey.”

“Are you mad at me, Tyunnie?” Beomgyu asks.

“No,” Taehyun replies sarcastically. 

“M’sorry, Tyun,” Beomgyu apologizes. “I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Taehyun sighs. “Just go eat your waffles, Gyu.”

The silver-haired male smiles, glad Taehyun isn’t mad with him anymore. He quickly presses a kiss on Taehyun’s cheek, before he runs to the dining room to join the twins.

\--

Around fifteen minutes later, everyone is done eating. Taehyun picks up everyone’s plates as usual and places them in the sink. The twins go up to their room to ‘clean it up’, whilst Beomgyu and Taehyun stay downstairs. Now that they’re alone, Beomgyu figures they can have some fun, but then remembers he now has a shit ton of work to do, because of his week-long break.

“Are you going to need any help cleaning?” he questions.

Taehyun slightly turns from the sink to look at Beomgyu. “No. Why?”

“I have a shit ton of work to do,” he answers. “Can you handle this by yourself?”

“Yes, Gyu,” Taehyun assures. “I’ve done it before.”

Beomgyu nods. “I’ll be up in my office if you need me.”

Taehyun nods this time, and Beomgyu starts walking away before Taehyun remembers he planned on asking Beomgyu something. “Gyu, wait.”

Beomgyu turns around, looking at Taehyun in slight confusion. “Yeah?”

“When are the other workers and slaves coming back?” he asks. “Shouldn’t they be returning today?”

“Shit, you’re right,” Beomgyu realizes. He quickly takes out his phone to check the time; 7:21 in the evening. The other slaves and workers are supposed to return at seven-thirty. “Oh, shit, Taehyun, they’re going to return at seven-thirty.”

“What time is it now?” 

“7:21.”

Taehyun’s eyes widen. “I-I have to change, don’t I?”

Beomgyu nods. “Yeah.”

“Fuck,” Taehyun curses. “Okay, I’ll do that. Are you going to take care of the rest?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu assures. “Hurry, before they arrive.”

Taehyun nods before he quickly runs up the stairs, and toward his room. He opens his closet, rummages through it until he finds the rags he and other slaves are supposed to wear, and not take it off at all times, no matter what. Taehyun undresses, and quickly pulls the rags on, the sleeve of the shirt rag falling off his shoulder, like always. Just in case, Taehyun checks his reflection in the mirror to make sure no hickeys show, and there’s only one behind his ear. The rest of his hickeys have already faded, or are hidden underneath his rags. Taehyun sighs in relief, before he takes his shoes and socks off as well, and runs back downstairs. He checks the time and sees that only two minutes have passed. 

“H-hyung!” he calls out.

“Coming!” Beomgyu calls back. Taehyun waits anxiously for Beomgyu in the living room, until Beomgyu arrives a minute later. “Yeah?”

“D-do I look okay?” Taehyun asks nervously, motioning to himself.

Beomgyu looks Taehyun up and down. Normally, Beomgyu would do it for sexual purposes, but now he’s doing it for something serious. “Yes, you look okay. Remember, you’re back to being a slave, so don’t call me ‘hyung’ or ‘master.’ Call me ‘Mr. Choi.’”

“Mr. Choi,” Taehyun mutters, nodding to himself. “Got it.”

“Don’t let ‘hyung’ or ‘master’ slip,” Beomgyu warns. “We’ll get into deep trouble if you do, Taehyun. Oh, and I’m back to calling you slave, okay?”

“O-okay, Mr. Choi,” he says. Beomgyu nods and he and Taehyun wait until the clock strikes seven-thirty. Once it does, they both hear the doorbell ring a second later. “I-I’m supposed to answer the door, right?” he whispers.

Beomgyu nods again, so Taehyun heads to the door. He takes a deep breath, before he opens the door, seeing the other workers and slaves he works with outside. Surprisingly, the same lady that brought him to the Chois’ residence is also with them.

“Oh, Taehyun, nice to see you again,” she says, but Taehyun knows she’s lying. “H-how have you been?”

“I-I’ve been fine,” he replies. “W-what are you doing here, miss?”

“I came to return your lovely co-workers,” she says. “You missed them, didn’t you?”

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun mumbles.

“I see that you’re back from Hirai Momo’s house as well,” the female notices. “Is your master home, Taehyun?”

“Yes,” he answers. “Would you like to see him?”

“Yes, please,” the female says. “May we come in?”

Taehyun nods, and he opens the door wider to let the others inside. The other workers and slaves step inside and stand by the wall by order in height. The female worker steps in as well, but she invites herself to go sit down on the couch. Taehyun internally glares at her, before he turns his attention to the others. They have their eyes down on the floor, and Taehyun skims past their faces to see if he can notice Jared. Indeed, the said male is amidst the crowd, and he also has his face down. 

“Ah, Ms. Park,” Beomgyu’s voice suddenly says, making ‘Ms. Park’ and Taehyun look up at him.

Ms. Park immediately stands up, and she shakes hands with Beomgyu. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Choi.”

“Likewise, Ms. Park,” he returns. Beomgyu motions to the couch Ms. Park was sitting on. “Please sit. Would you like anything to drink?”

“No, I’m fine,” she replies, not bothering to say thank you. “I just came to return your slaves and workers. They behaved very well back in headquarters.”

“Oh, that’s nice to hear,” Beomgyu says. “Thanks for bringing them, Ms. Park.”

“Of course,” she says. Ms. Park checks her watch and stands up. “Well, I’m sad to say, but I do have to leave now. Mr. Choi, if any of your workers or slaves cause you trouble, you’re free to bring them to headquarters. We’ll deal with them.”

Beomgyu nods, but he knows how _badly_ headquarters would treat the slaves and workers under them if their masters ever complained about them. After all, how do y’all guess Taehyun got his scar? 

“I’ll make sure to do so, then, Ms. Park,” Beomgyu lies. He extends his hand for Ms. Park to shake. “Thank you again.”

Ms. Park nods, and she shakes Beomgyu’s hand, holding onto it for a bit _too_ long. That doesn’t go unnoticed by Taehyun, though, which makes him hold himself back from pouncing onto Ms. Park. “Anything for you, Mr. Choi. Have a nice night.”

“You, too,” he says.

Ms. Park nods, and she glances at Taehyun, before finally walking out of the Chois’ residence. Taehyun closes the door behind her as he desperately wishes she’ll never return ever again.

“All of you can head to your room,” Beomgyu says, looking at the slaves and workers, except Taehyun. Usually, when Beomgyu gives orders like that, he means _all_ of the slaves have to listen to what he says, even Taehyun. So, the brunette bows along with the rest, and is about to walk away with them, until Beomgyu calls him back. “Except you, Kang.”

At the mention of Taehyun’s last name, Jared looks up from the floor, and he makes eye contact with Taehyun. The younger just stares at him back, and Jared scowls at him before he finally looks away. 

Taehyun waits until the rest of the others are gone to mutter, “Stupid bitch,” under his breath.

“Who were you calling a ‘stupid bitch’?” Beomgyu asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Jared,” Taehyun grumbles. “I don’t trust him.”

“I don’t trust him, either,” Beomgyu agrees. He looks at Taehyun, noticing the stress in the younger’s eyes. “You okay? You look a bit stressed.”

“I am,” he admits.

“About what?” Beomgyu questions.

“The others,” Taehyun replies.

“What about them?”

“If we’re going to continue doing what we’re doing,” Taehyun says in a low voice, “we’re going to have to do it behind everyone’s back. It’s bad enough that we have to do it behind the twins’, but with the other workers and slaves, too? Isn’t that a bit too much?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu concurs. “But what _can_ we do with them? I signed a contract that says I can’t get rid of them for at least five years.”

“Well, you _won’t_ get rid of them, then,” Taehyun says. “We said we’d only continue doing this until Jisoo-noona comes back. We can just keep them out of the house for that long.”

“Yeah, but what about you?” Beomgyu says. “Headquarters are going to ask why you’re not going with them, too.”

“Well, you can say I’m so sick I can’t leave the house,” Taehyun suggests. 

“Alright,” Beomgyu mutters. “But what if it doesn’t work, and they still want to take you away?”

“That won’t happen,” Taehyun assures, even though he doesn’t know that himself.

“We don’t know that,” Beomgyu whispers. 

“It won’t, hyung.”


	19. Gifts

As the days, weeks, and months pass by, Beomgyu and Taehyun get closer. Because of their discussion, Jared and the other workers/slaves aren’t with them anymore, they’re back in headquarters. Fortunately, headquarters didn’t ask about Taehyun, probably having a clue that Beomgyu prefers the brown-haired male more than the rest of his workers and slaves. Beomgyu and Taehyun continue to sneak around and do their own type of fun, if you know what I mean. Of course, no one else knows about this except for Yeonjun. Even though no one knows about their affair, it doesn’t mean they’ve never been almost caught.

They were even almost caught a few days ago.

_“Tyun, you good?” Beomgyu asked, checking on Taehyun since the brunette only panted heavily without saying anything._

_“I-I’m fine,” he assured. “J-just a bit overwhelmed.”_

_Beomgyu nodded. He couldn’t blame Taehyun. The sex they just had was_ amazing _. Speaking of which, just as Beomgyu was about to lie down, he felt Taehyun get up and roll on top of him._

_“Tyun?” Beomgyu was confused. “You okay?”_

_“I’m fine,” Taehyun muttered. He leaned down and started softly kissing Beomgyu’s neck until his kissing turned into bites and sucking._

_Beomgyu chuckled, gripping Taehyun’s slim waist as he finally figured what Taehyun wanted. “You want another round?”_

_Taehyun nodded, now kissing along Beomgyu’s collarbone. “Mhm. Our last round was so good, master. I want to do it again.”_

_“As you wish,” he said, before he grabbed Taehyun’s jaw, and pulled him in for a messy and heated kiss._

_Beomgyu sat up and pushed Taehyun down on the bed, still not breaking the kiss. Taehyun entangled his fingers in Beomgyu’s silver strands, letting Beomgyu climb on top of him. Beomgyu pulled away to start kissing down Taehyun’s neck but was soon interrupted when they hear a phone ringing._

_“J-just ignore it, master,” he said, not wanting to stop._

_“Okay,” Beomgyu mumbled. They let the phone continue ringing as Beomgyu continued to kiss down Taehyun’s upper body. The phone stopped ringing, finally, so Beomgyu grabbed the silk blindfold and rope from the nightstand, about to tie them around Taehyun when they both heard the phone start ringing again. “Oh my fucking god.”_

_“A-answer it, master,” he said. “It’s probably someone important if they keep calling.”_

_Beomgyu nodded and grabbed his phone. But his eyes widened when he saw that it was_ Jisoo _who was calling him, and she wanted to freaking_ FaceTime _._

_“Fuck, Taehyun, I don’t think I can answer,” Beomgyu said._

_“Why not?” Taehyun asked._

_Beomgyu turned the phone, so Taehyun could see that Jisoo was trying to FaceTime. “Because it’s Jisoo, and she wants to FaceTime.”_

_Taehyun’s eyes widened. “Sh-she can’t see you naked, especially if she sees me naked, too.”_

_“Change quickly, then,” Beomgyu ordered._

_Taehyun nodded, and he grabbed his clothes from the floor. He and Beomgyu changed back into their clothes, fixed their hair up a bit before Beomgyu called Jisoo back since he missed her two calls._

_“About time you answer, Choi,” she grumbled._

_“Heh, sorry,” Beomgyu apologized. “W-we couldn’t find my phone.”_

_Jisoo looked at Beomgyu confused. “‘We’?”_

_“H-hi, noona,” Taehyun spoke up, Beomgyu turning the phone to him._

_Jisoo smiled once she saw Taehyun. “Oh, hi, Tae! What are you two doing together?”_

_“Uh, we were cleaning the room,” Beomgyu lied. “That’s why I couldn’t find my phone. Sorry again, dear.”_

_“It’s fine,” Jisoo said._

_“Why did you call, noona?”_

_Jisoo continued to speak with Beomgyu and Taehyun for the next twenty minutes until she had to leave. Once Beomgyu ended the call, he and Taehyun sighed in relief, falling back against the bed._

_“That was close,” Beomgyu muttered._

_“It was,” Taehyun agreed. “Maybe we shouldn’t continue tonight.”_

_“Yeah, maybe,” Beomgyu said. “You wanna watch a movie?”_

Beomgyu and Taehyun don’t think Jisoo has a clue—or anyone, for this matter—that they are sleeping around. The only one who _does_ know is Yeonjun, but Beomgyu doesn’t even know that the older one does. Taehyun is too afraid to tell him, and Yeonjun hasn’t visited or called them lately. Either way, all of them are happy with their lives, whether they’re holding back the truth or not.

Speaking of which, ever since Beomgyu and Taehyun started their affair, Taehyun has fallen more and more in love with Beomgyu each day. Taehyun feels like Beomgyu is perfect, and he can do no wrong. Beomgyu is the light of his life, and he can’t live without him. The older is the love of Taehyun’s life, but he is also the love of _Jisoo’s_ life.

However, this story isn’t about hers and Beomgyu’s love life. It’s about Beomgyu and _Taehyun’s_ love life.

The twins grow more attached to Taehyun each day, and they sometimes even refuse to talk to their mom if Taehyun isn’t there with them. Taehyun doesn’t mind the love and attention the twins give them, but he does wish they would treat their mom like the person she is in their life: their mom. Taehyun isn’t, yet he gets more love and attention from the twins than their own mom does. That makes Taehyun feel bad, but he knows if he ever tried to distance himself, that’d break the twins’ heart, and he doesn’t want that.

Why does life have to be so complicated?

Anyway, I guess y’all can say that Beomgyu is also in love with Taehyun. Not as much as the brunette is with him, but Beomgyu will still do anything for Taehyun. Anything to see the younger’s smile, his dimple on his right cheek, his eyes scrunching up when he smiles, and the way his eyes light up whenever he sees Beomgyu enter the room. Beomgyu notices that as well, and he thinks it’s cute and lovely, knowing his eyes light up the same way when Taehyun enters the room.

Even though the light of Beomgyu’s life should be Jisoo, it isn’t. It’s Kang Taehyun, and Beomgyu is proud of that. Sure, he wouldn’t announce it to the whole world, but he hopes Taehyun knows that. Taehyun is Beomgyu’s whole world, and Beomgyu loves him for that. He hopes he’s Taehyun’s world as well.

Every day that passes by, Beomgyu’s and Taehyun’s love for each other grows. Although it shouldn’t be, since Beomgyu is, you know, _married_ , it still happens, and Beomgyu would do _anything_ for Taehyun. Especially since Christmas is just around the corner.

(yes, jisoo has been gone for more than seven months, and even missed the twins’ sixth birthday.)

(it’s not like she can do anything about it, though.)

(and beomgyu and taehyun both secretly wish jisoo won’t return until _at least_ next year.)

Ever since it became December, Beomgyu has been thinking about what to get Taehyun for Christmas. He already knows what the twins want for Christmas, which is just more toys. He can have that arranged. But having something arranged for Taehyun is a different and more difficult story. Slaves barely have any freedom here in South Korea, so getting them a Christmas present is hard. And of course, Beomgyu has asked Taehyun what he wants for Christmas, being too tired to continue stressing himself over it, but Taehyun said Beomgyu didn’t have to get him anything. However, Beomgyu _wants_ to get Taehyun something. He deserves it, after all.

Today is December fourteenth, which means eleven more days until Christmas. It is 8:43 in the night, and Beomgyu is in his office working, whilst Taehyun is hanging with the twins in their room. Beomgyu should be working, but he’s currently thinking about what he should get Taehyun for Christmas. Again. It’s been in Beomgyu’s head what Taehyun wants, but Beomgyu never comes up with an answer, which frustrates him.

Finally, Beomgyu gets the idea to just search his dilemma up. He turns to his MacBook, opens a new window and tab, and types in the question _what should i get my boyfriend for christmas_.

Multiple links, websites, and pictures pop up, and Beomgyu clicks on the first link. He scrolls through it and doesn’t find anything good. He goes back, clicks on another link, and scrolls through it as well. Beomgyu is about to give up hope on this website until he finds something that catches his eye.

**_4\. Does your boyfriend live far away from home, and doesn’t have enough money to buy his own plane tickets? Get him one, so he can see his family again!  
_ ** _-we can bet he’ll love you more if you do!_

Now _that_ catches Beomgyu’s attention, which also gets him thinking. Slaves are born into a family, and they are chosen to be slaves if their family is poor. They are taken away from their parents at the age of four to five, and they never see them again, whether they want to be taken away or not. Beomgyu figures Taehyun’s story is the same, and he hasn’t seen his parents in the past twelve to thirteen years. That makes Beomgyu remember a conversation he, Taehyun, and the twins had the other day.

_“So, I have some news to announce,” Beomgyu said as they’re all eating dinner._

_“What is it, Gyu?” Taehyun asked._

_“My parents are coming over for Christmas,” Beomgyu informed. His parents still live back in Daegu, since Beomgyu moved away from them to start his own company. “We haven’t seen them for over a year, so it’d be nice to see them again. RIght, angels?”_

_Yoonah nodded, ranch dressing all around her lips. “Yeah! I missed grandma and grandpa!”_

_“Me, too!” Yeona agreed. “They bought me a lot of candy!”_

_Taehyun chuckled, grabbing a napkin to wipe Yoonah’s mouth. “When are they coming over, Gyu?”_

_“Two days before Christmas,” he replied. “So we have to have the house spotless.”_

_“I’m sure I can make that happen,” Taehyun said._

_“Yeah, and that also means you get to finally meet my parents,” Beomgyu said pointedly._

_Taehyun’s eyes widened. He hadn’t realized that until Beomgyu said it. “I-I do?”_

_“Yeah,” he said. “It’d be nice, wouldn’t it?”_

_“Y-yeah,” Taehyun lied. Beomgyu’s parents don’t know their son and his slave are having an affair, so all Taehyun has to do is either act as a slave if Beomgyu wants him to, or be on his best behavior that day without saying anything rude if Beomgyu’s parents do tell him something that isn’t so nice. Taehyun could do that, right?_

_“What about your parents, Taehyun-ah?” Yoonah questioned. “Are they coming over, too?”_

_Taehyun tensed at the mention of his parents. The twins are still too young to understand how the world of slaves works, so they don’t know that Taehyun was taken away from his parents when he was barely five years old. Beomgyu didn’t fail to notice how Taehyun tensed, though, so he looked at him a bit worriedly._

_“You okay, Tyun?” Beomgyu softly said._

_“I-I’m fine,” Taehyun muttered, snapping out of his trance._

_“So are your parents coming over, too, Taehyun-ah?” Yeona repeated._

_“Yeo-”_

_“It’s fine, Beomgyu,” Taehyun assured. He took a deep breath, blinking back tears before he looked at the twins. “M-my parents won’t be able to join us, twins. They’ll be too busy to.” Taehyun doesn’t even know if his parents are_ alive _, but the twins don’t need to know that._

_“Oh, we’re sorry for asking, Taehyun-ah,” Yeona frowned._

_“I-it’s fine,” he said. “Let’s continue eating, shall we?”_

_All Beomgyu and the twins could do was nod, so they continued eating._

Thinking back to that day, Beomgyu realizes what he can get Taehyun for Christmas: his parents. Beomgyu can arrange something, so the three can see each other again. Beomgyu sighs in relief to himself but then realizes something else. He doesn’t even know if Taehyun’s parents are still alive, so how is he going to arrange a meeting for them and Taehyun? Well, if they _are_ dead, Beomgyu can always take Taehyun to their grave, but that’d be too depressing. Christmas is supposed to be a joyful holiday, not a depressing one.

Beomgyu sighs, running his fingers through his silver hair. All the slaves that are parents continue being slaves, but they don’t live with their masters. They live back in headquarters. Fortunately (or not), all slaves have their own files, and they are updated each week. Which means Beomgyu can hack into the slaves’ headquarters website, and see which one of their multiple files belong to Taehyun’s parents.

“That’s going to be hard,” Beomgyu mutters to himself. If he doesn’t know how to hack into his own password, how the heck is he going to hack into the slaves’ headquarters’ website when they have their own firewall and everything?

_San-hyung._

Beomgyu has known Choi San for more than nine years. They met back in middle school and continued being friends throughout middle and high school, and even university and college. They stopped speaking, though, once Beomgyu became famous, but they do keep in touch here and there. And San still owes Beomgyu for something the younger did for him a few years back.

To that thought, Beomgyu is quick to grab his phone, and scroll through his contacts, until he finds the contact he named ‘Choi San From Middle School.’ Beomgyu sighs in relief and is quick to press the call button, the line starting to ring. It takes a few seconds, but the line soon picks up.

“H-hello?”

For some odd reason, it sounds as if San is panting, or out of breath. Beomgyu shakes his head at the filthy thoughts filling his head. “Hi, San-hyung.”

“Beomgyu?” The blonde-haired male sounds surprised to hear Beomgyu.

“Hi,” he greets. “Are you busy right now?”

“Um, well, I _was_ just having sex with Wooyoung,” San mutters. Wooyoung is San’s boyfriend, and they have been dating for three years. True love if you ask me. “But what’s up, Beom?”

The silver-haired male starts to think he can ask San at a better time, but right now it’s a better time than any other. “Um, you’re good at hacking, right?”

“Yeah,” he replies. “Why?”

“I need a favor,” Beomgyu starts.

“Okay, sure,” San says. “What is it?”

“I need you to hack into the slaves’ headquarters’ website,” Beomgyu says.

“What?” San says, surprised. “Why?”

“It’s a long story,” Beomgyu says. “I need you to look through the files they have of their slaves, and send me the ones that have ‘Kang’ as their last name.”

“Beomgyu, we might get in trouble if I do that,” San reminds. “Especially if I do it through the internet.”

“I’ll create a safe account for both of us,” Beomgyu assures. “I’ll give you ours right now if you want.”

San sighs. “Fine. You do know there’s a lot of Kangs here in Seoul alone, right?”

“I can narrow it down,” Beomgyu says. “Can you do this, hyung?”

“It’ll take a few hours, but yeah,” San sighs. “What do you need it for?”

“Someone I love,” Beomgyu replies, which isn’t a lie. He then tells San what their emails are, and San writes them down. “Thanks for your help, hyung. I’ll let you get back to having…your ‘time’ with Wooyoung-hyung. Tell him I said hi, by the way.”

“Will do,” San says. “Bye, Beom.”

“Bye,” he returns, before he and San end their call.

Beomgyu sighs in relief, glad he got that over with. He quickly writes down his safe email and password, before he tries to go back to work.

\--

The next day continues like normal: Taehyun and the twins wake up early, the twins get ready for school, Beomgyu gets ready to go to his company for the first time in a while, they kiss Taehyun goodbye, before Beomgyu drops the twins off at their school, and heads back to his company. Beomgyu gets out of work at nine-thirty in the night, so he won’t be able to pick up the twins. As he enters his office, he tells his assistant to tell his driver to pick up the twins when they get out at twelve-thirty p.m. His assistant nods, so Beomgyu is quick to start working.

Since it’s his first day back at his company in a while, Taehyun does get needy for Beomgyu, so he sends him some pictures of him in the soft pink sweatshirt, white skirt, and matching white thigh high stockings that Beomgyu loves so much. At first, the pictures are innocent, but they gradually get filthier and unholy. Taehyun goes from sitting on the floor with his ‘girly’ clothes on, his text saying ‘i miss u a lot hyungie 🥺 plz come home soon :(’ to him on his knees, his face flushed red as he spreads his legs open to let Beomgyu see the dildo between them, his text saying ‘look at what you’re missing out, master.’ It’s plain torture, especially the problem between Beomgyu’s legs, but he’ll deal with it and Taehyun when he gets home.

Beomgyu continues working for the next twelve hours in his office, signing and reading papers, scheduling meetings, interviewing people, and checking over many multiple things. Finally, when the clock strikes nine-thirty, Beomgyu is quick to start packing up his stuff.

“Mr. Choi, is it alright if I leave as well?” his assistant asks.

“Kim, you’ve always been free to leave when I do,” Beomgyu reminds.

“W-well, yes, but I still have some leftover work to do,” his assistant says. “B-but I need to return home, Mr. Choi.”

“Why?” 

“My wife is about to give birth to our first child.” 

Beomgyu’s eyes widen. “Since when were you alerted?”

“Th-thirty minutes ago…”

“What are you doing here, then? Leave!”

His assistant nods. “Th-thank you, Mr. Choi.”

Beomgyu nods this time, and his assistant quickly leaves. Beomgyu shakes his head and walks out of the building. He sees his driver waiting outside for him, and he gets in the car.

“Did you pick up the twins as I told you to?” he questions.

“Yes, Mr. Choi,” the driver assures, shifting the gear to drive. “They’re back at your house safely with your slave Kang.02.”

Beomgyu nods, almost forgetting that outsiders that aren’t masters call slaves by their last name, and then add . whatever month they were born on. Beomgyu’s driver soon starts, well, driving back to Beomgyu’s house, and Beomgyu looks out the window as the car drives to his house. When they’re five minutes away, Beomgyu and his driver suddenly start hearing a phone ringing.

“Is it yours?” Beomgyu asks.

“No, Mr. Choi,” his driver replies.

Beomgyu nods, and he digs for his phone through his bag. He takes it out soon, surprised to see that it’s San who’s calling him. Beomgyu quickly answers the call. “Hello?”

“Hey, Beom,” San greets. “You busy?”

“No,” Beomgyu answers. “What’s up, hyung?”

“I found the files, and I sent them to you,” San informs. “They should be in your safe email account’s inbox right now.”

“Alright, let me check,” Beomgyu mutters. He opens his email, logs into his safe account, and sees San’s safe email account as his third message. Beomgyu clicks on it and is surprised to see that there are over a hundred pages. _Wow, there are_ a lot _of Kangs that are slaves._

“Did you see it?” San asks.

“Yes,” Beomgyu responds. “Thanks, hyung.”

“Of course,” San says. “Just alert me if the government ever finds out about this.”

“Will do,” Beomgyu chuckles. “Have a nice night, hyung.”

“You, too,” San returns before he and Beomgyu end their call.

“Is everything alright, Mr. Choi?” his driver questions, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.

“Yeah,” he assures. “We almost there?”

“We’re here already, actually,” his driver announces, stopping the car right outside the gates of the Chois’ mansion.

“Thanks,” Beomgyu says, unbuckling himself, and grabbing his stuff. “Drive safely, Song.”

“I will, Mr. Choi,” he says.

Beomgyu nods, and he finally gets out of the car. He walks toward the gates, unlocks them, and soon hears his driver driving away. The gates automatically close behind Beomgyu, since they sense no one else with him, and he walks toward the front door. He unlocks it with his keys, and once he pushes open the door, he’s surprised to see Taehyun and the twins in the living room, sitting around the coffee table, seeming as if Taehyun is helping the twins with their homework, whilst _Dinosaur Train_ plays on the TV.

“Daddy!” the twins squeal as they notice Beomgyu.

“Hi, angels,” he greets, stepping inside his mansion.

It’s the first time Beomgyu ever arrived at a reasonable time at his house when he works at his company, so to say the twins are very much excited is reasonable. They get up from sitting down, and run to Beomgyu, hugging his legs. Beomgyu chuckles, places his suitcase down, before picking up the twins in his arms, placing big sloppy kisses on their cheeks. 

“We missed you, daddy,” Yoonah says with a small frown.

“Yeah,” Yeona agrees. “Why did you leave, daddy?”

“I had work, angels,” he reminds. “You guys want me to buy whatever you want and need, right? Well, I need money to do that, so I have to work to earn it.”

“That’s boring,” Yoonah whines.

“Everything about being an adult is,” Beomgyu says. “What were you guys doing?”

“Taehyun-ah was helping us with our homework!” Yoonah replies.

“Oh, really?” Beomgyu says. He looks away from the twins to look at Taehyun. “Is their homework difficult? I bet it is.”

“It is!” Yeona groans.

Taehyun giggles, getting up from his spot on the floor. He walks over toward the rest, and has the urge to peck Beomgyu’s lips as a greeting, but holds himself back. “Hi to you, too, Gyu.”

“Oh, hi,” he returns, smiling sheepishly.

“RIght, Taehyun-ah, our homework is very hard?” Yoonah frowns.

“It is,” Taehyun jokingly agrees. “Very hard. Harder than figuring out what twenty-three times two thousand, five billion, three trillion, two hundred ten is.”

“Exactly,” Yeona agrees, even though she doesn’t know even know what multiplication is.

Beomgyu chuckles. “I don’t think your guys’ homework is _that_ hard, twins.”

“You’re just jelly, then,” Yoonah huffs, crossing her arms.

“I sure am,” Beomgyu concurs sarcastically, placing them down on the floor.

Yeona laughs before she gasps. “Look, Yoo, the dinosaurs are back again!”

Yoonah’s eyes light up. “Yay!”

The twins then run toward the living room to continue watching the TV, leaving Beomgyu and Taehyun alone. Beomgyu makes sure the twins are too focused on the TV, before he wraps his arms around Taehyun’s slim waist, and pulls him closer.

“Hey, you,” Beomgyu greets in a soft tone.

“Hey,” Taehyun returns just as softly, wrapping his arms around Beomgyu’s neck, just like he used to do when Beomgyu carried him bridal style. “How was work?”

“Fine,” he replies, “until a certain someone started sending me some not so innocent pictures of themselves in erotic poses.”

Taehyun smiles. “M’sorry. I was just very bored, and you were away.”

“So deciding to torture me entertains you?”

“Very much.”

Beomgyu tsks, and he lightly slaps Taehyun’s ass. “You know, I’m going to have to punish you so badly, you’ll be begging for the rest of the night.”

Taehyun smiles, and he leans closer until his and Beomgyu’s noses brush against each other. “I’d like to see you try.”

Beomgyu rolls his eyes before he finally presses his and Taehyun’s lips together. Taehyun hums happily against the kiss and kisses back. Beomgyu lowers his hands until they’re touching Taehyun’s hips, and brings Taehyun closer. Their kiss would’ve escalated if they didn’t remember that the twins are in the other room, so they hesitantly pull away.

“I missed you, you know,” Beomgyu says.

Taehyun smiles, and he softly pecks Beomgyu’s nose. “I missed you, too.”

“Let’s go back to the twins, so they don’t wonder where we are,” he suggests.

Taehyun nods.

\--

The next day, Beomgyu and the twins have to leave Taehyun alone again, which Beomgyu feels sorry about because he’s pretty sure Taehyun can’t walk for the rest of the week, since Beomgyu f’ed him up pretty good last night. Beomgyu punished Taehyun as promised, and Taehyun _did_ end up begging Beomgyu for the whole night. Their time last night was a ninety out of ten, especially at how rough and hard Beomgyu was, so Taehyun can’t walk anymore without limping. Does Beomgyu feel bad, though? No, because Taehyun deserves it for being such a tease.

“Morning, baby,” Beomgyu greets in his deep sleeping voice, kissing Taehyun’s naked shoulder blade.

“M-morning,” he returns. “W-what time is it?”

Beomgyu checks the clock. “6:04 in the morning.”

Taehyun nods. “O-okay.”

“How you feeling, Tyun?” Beomgyu asks.

“Okay,” Taehyun mutters. “I’m not that sore.”

“Yet.” 

“Shut up, I won’t be.” 

“We’ll see,” Beomgyu says as he gets up from the bed. “I won’t be back home until nine today.”

“Not nine-thirty?” Taehyun questions.

“No,” Beomgyu says. “But that doesn’t mean you can still send me those unholy pictures of you.”

Taehyun snickers. “No promises, _master.”_

“You are going to be the death of me, Kang Taehyun,” Beomgyu mumbles under his breath, but Taehyun hears it, making him giggle.

Everyone else starts getting ready. Once the clock strikes seven-thirty, Beomgyu and the twins kiss Taehyun goodbye, before they leave their mansion. Beomgyu drops them off again, before heading back to his work. Obviously, his assistant isn’t there, since she has her wife and newborn daughter (as beomgyu learned of last night, congratulating his assistant, and telling her she has the next two months off) to take care of now. It would be hard to deal with the stuff his assistant usually does for him, but Beomgyu hopes he can manage.

Beomgyu continues working until lunch, and when the clock strikes eleven-fifty, Beomgyu steps away from his computer. He lets out a sigh of relief and checks his phone to see who was texting him earlier: Taehyun. Beomgyu shakes his head, and opens all of the younger’s messages, which are just memes, fortunately. Beomgyu reacts to Taehyun’s messages, and the two text for a while, until Beomgyu decides he needs to eat lunch, or else he’ll starve for the rest of the day. 

Beomgyu walks to a nearby diner to get some food, and as he stands in line, he skims through the crowd of people in here. But then something catches his eye in the back, and Beomgyu’s eyes slightly widen. There are two females in the back, one with purple hair, and the other with raven hair. The one with purple hair is eating chicken and rice, whilst the other eats kimchi stew. They seem very engaged in a conversation with each other, laughing at what the other said. But that’s not what catches Beomgyu’s attention. What catches his attention is that the female with purple hair looks _exactly_ like Jisoo, and the female with raven hair looks _exactly_ like Rosé. There’s nothing wrong with the two hanging out of course, but Jisoo is still supposed to be on her business trip, and Rosé should be back with her family in Australia. Not only that, but Rosé’s hand is on Jisoo’s thigh, dangerously close where it shouldn’t be, yet Jisoo doesn’t seem to mind.

Beomgyu soon shakes his head, though, realizing he was staring too long. Those females probably aren’t Jisoo and Rosé, and here Beomgyu is staring at them like a creep. Beomgyu sighs to himself, and eventually orders when it’s his turn. He grabs his bag of food when his number order is called and leaves the diner to head back to his company. He returns to his office, and sits down on his chair behind his desk as he starts eating. He remembers the files San sent him yesterday and opens the email.

As said, there are over a hundred pages filled with files of slaves that have the last name ‘Kang’, so Beomgyu is going to be here for a while. He thoroughly looks through the slaves’ pictures, trying to see how many of them look like Taehyun. By the time he’s done, Beomgyu finds _four_ females that look like Taehyun, and _five_ males that do as well. Beomgyu can’t narrow it down from here, so he’s stuck, and the only person he can go to is Taehyun, but Beomgyu doesn’t want to. He wants this gift to be a surprise, and he doesn’t want Taehyun to know until it’s Christmas.

Beomgyu sighs, leaning back in his chair to see what he can do. He can always ask San for help, but wouldn’t he be asking for too much? Besides, San probably has his own stuff to do. Beomgyu eventually figures he can just get a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ as a response. He takes a deep breath before he grabs his phone, and dials San’s number.

San answers a few seconds later. “Hello?”

“H-hi, hyung,” Beomgyu greets, a bit nervously. “Are you busy right now?”

“No,” San assures. “Why?”

“I need another favor,” Beomgyu starts.

“Sure, what is it?”

“Can you check to see out of all the files you sent me,” Beomgyu says, “how many of them have children?”

“Uh, sure,” San says. “Right now?”

“If you can,” Beomgyu replies.

“Sure,” San says. “I’ll send you the files in a few.”

“Thanks, hyung,” Beomgyu says, relieved. 

“Yeah,” San says before they end their call.

Beomgyu sighs in relief. He’s glad he has a friend like San. Beomgyu waits for the next twenty minutes until his phone starts ringing again, San’s name popping up on the caller ID.

“Is everything okay, hyung?” Beomgyu asks, trying not to sound desperate.

“Yeah,” San assures. “I sent the files to you right now.”

“Okay, thanks,” Beomgyu mutters. He checks his inbox and sees that San indeed did send him something. Beomgyu clicks on it, and he’s surprised that the email is only one page long, which makes it easier than looking through the other files. Beomgyu looks through the faces of each of the slaves—there are only nine—and sees that only one of the females looks like Taehyun, and two of the males do. “Does it say what gender their child is?”

“Yeah,” San replies. “Which ones caught your attention?”

“Kang Chaewon, Kang Joon-woo, and Kang Jun-seo,” Beomgyu says. “Can you check if they’re married, too? That’ll probably make it easier.”

“Sure,” San says. He checks through the files of Kang Chaewon’s, Kang Joon-woo’s, and Kang Jun-seo’s. San checks their relationship status and only sees that Kang Chaewon and Kang Joon-woo are married. Kang Jun-seo is divorced, and his wife is deceased. After some more digging, San realizes that Chaewon and Joon-woo are married to _each other_ , and they have a son named Kang Taehyun. _Maybe that’s what Beom’s looking for._ “Well, Kang Chaewon and Kang Joon-woo are married, and luckily for you, Beom, they’re married to each other.”

“Do they have a son named Kang Taehyun?” 

“Yes.” 

“Oh, thank god,” Beomgyu mutters in relief. “Do you know where they are right now?”

“Um…” San looks at Chaewon’s and Joon-woo’s files. “They’re both in Daechi-dong’s slaves’ headquarters.”

“That’s not far from here,” Beomgyu realizes. “Are they alive?”

“Yes,” San replies. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do you need all this info, Beom?”

“It’s important,” he says. “It’s for someone I love.”

“Well, just be careful, then,” San warns.

“I will be,” Beomgyu says. “Do you think there’s a way that I can arrange a secret meeting with them?”

“That’s extremely dangerous, Beomgyu,” San says. “Do you know how much trouble you’ll be if headquarters find out? If the _government_ finds out?”

“That’s why it’s called secret,” Beomgyu says. _“Is_ there a way, hyung?”

“Yes,” San sighs.

“How?” Beomgyu asks.

“Remember Jeong Yunho?” San says. “He’s the one who can arrange them, but he’s very pricy.”

“How much does he make you pay?” Beomgyu says.

“Over ten grand,” San answers.

“I can have that money _in cash_ in two minutes,” Beomgyu says. 

“If you say so,” San sighs. “Are you really going to do all this? It’s really dangerous, Beom. Your life can be on the line.”

“I-I’m going to do this for real, hyung,” he confirms.

“Is the person you’re doing this for really worth all the trouble?”

“Yes,” Beomgyu replies without any hesitation.

San sighs. “If you say so. Do you want me to contact Yunho?”

“Yes, please,” Beomgyu says. “Give him my number and email. Thanks for all your help, hyung.”

“Of course,” San says. “Call me if you need anything else.”

“Will do,” Beomgyu says, before he and San end their call. 

Beomgyu sighs, and he looks at the picture in Chaewon’s and Joon-woo’s file. They both look a lot like Taehyun, and Beomgyu smiles at the mention of the brunette. Beomgyu can’t wait to see Taehyun’s reaction when he finally finds out what Beomgyu got him for Christmas.

\--

Beomgyu doesn’t get an email, call, or text from Yunho for the next two days. That makes Beomgyu start worrying if San just scammed him, but then, whilst he’s eating lunch at work three days later, Beomgyu hears his phone ding, alerting him of a new text message. Beomgyu glances at his phone, surprised to see an unknown number he doesn’t know text him.

 **+110130399:** **  
**is this choi beomgyu?

 **beomgyu:** **  
**who is this?

 **+110130399:** **  
**jeong yunho

 **+110130399:** **  
**you spoke with choi san on the phone the other day

 **beomgyu:** **  
**ah, right

 **beomgyu:** **  
**did he tell you what i wanted?

 **yunho:** **  
**yes, but since kang chaewon and kang joon-woo are parents, they’re much harder to get alone

 **yunho:** **  
**in total, everything will be 15 grand

 **beomgyu:** **  
**that’s fine, thanks

 **beomgyu:** **  
**is there any way you can schedule the meeting for the night of christmas eve, and make them come to my house?

 **yunho:** **  
**sure, but it’ll cost you extra, and you’re going to need your own guards

 **beomgyu:** **  
**that’s fine

 **beomgyu:** **  
**thanks for doing this, yunho

 **yunho:** **  
**my pleasure

Beomgyu and Yunho continue talking, Beomgyu tells Yunho his address, and they make more arrangements about Taehyun’s parents. In the end, everything turns out to be around eighteen thousand dollars, but Beomgyu doesn’t have a problem getting all that money in cash. He thanks Yunho one last time, before he places his phone down, lets out a small squeal, and tries to continue working.

\--

As the days pass, and Christmas nears, Taehyun doesn’t have a clue yet what Beomgyu got him for Christmas, which is a good thing, because Beomgyu doesn’t want him to know. Not until December twenty-fifth. Not later, and not earlier.

Because of the holidays, the twins get two whole weeks off of school, so they keep Taehyun company, whilst Beomgyu is at work. Jisoo does occasionally call them, and to say Beomgyu is utterly shocked when he sees that Jisoo dyed her hair purple is an understatement. But surprisingly, Beomgyu realizes he doesn’t care as much, especially since he knows Rosé has had a crush on Jisoo ever since second grade.

Beomgyu doesn’t get a day off from work until Christmas Eve, which is just the day Beomgyu scheduled the meeting for Taehyun’s parents. When Beomgyu woke up that day, Taehyun was so confused as to why Beomgyu was so eager and nervous, but Beomgyu never told him why whenever he asked. Taehyun decided to just drop it, and focus on continuing his holiday spirit mood. 

Speaking of holidays, Beomgyu learned that his parents can’t make it for Christmas. There’s too much snow back in Daegu, so Beomgyu’s parents promised to make it on New Year’s Eve, at least. Beomgyu assured them it is okay, especially since Taehyun won’t be disturbed from meeting his parents again.

“Daddy, can we open our presents now?” Yoonah whines as Taehyun picks up their plates. They have just finished eating dinner, it is Christmas Eve, and it is the nth time Yoonah has asked Beomgyu if they can open their presents. If you combined the times Yoonah and Yeona have asked Beomgyu that question, it’d be a huge number.

“What did I say, angels?” 

“That we have to wait until tomorrow morning,” Yeona grumbles. “But that’s boring, daddy! Today is literally the day before Christmas!”

“Twins, you have to learn to be patient,” Taehyun steps in. “You won’t get everything you want in life right away, and you have to get used to that.”

“That’s borning,” Yoonah huffs.

Taehyun shrugs. “That’s just how life is.”

“How about we watch a Christmas movie together to entertain us?” Beomgyu suggests.

That gets the twins’ attention.

“What movie?” Yeona asks.

 _“Home Alone 2_?”

“Okay!” the twins agree before they rush to the living room.

Taehyun giggles. “You shouldn’t have lied to them, you know.”

“What do you mean?” Beomgyu questions, looking at Taehyun.

“You have work to do,” he reminds. “You won’t be able to watch the movie with them.”

Beomgyu waves Taehyun off. “Work can wait. For now, Christmas and my little girls can’t.”

Taehyun rolls his eyes. “That’s what you always say.”

“Hey, you get your way, too,” Beomgyu says. 

“Yeah, because you love me,” Taehyun says teasingly.

“You’re not wrong,” Beomgyu says, getting up. He and Taehyun first said ‘I love you’ to each other months ago, Taehyun being the first out of the two to do so. He accidentally slipped it out, but Beomgyu smiled at him, and returned the ‘I love you.’ From then on, they continue saying that to each other, loving the smile that appears on the other’s face. “I love you, Taehyun, and I can’t wait to spend Christmas with you tomorrow.”

Taehyun smiles, and he wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck, pecking his lips. “I love you, too, Beomgyu, and I can’t wait, either.”

Beomgyu smiles. “You’re going to love my gift.”

“How are you so sure about that?” Taehyun asks, raising an eyebrow. “You won’t even tell me what it is.”

Beomgyu shrugs. “You will, trust me. Let’s go watch _Home Alone 2_ with the twins now.”

Taehyun shakes his head but follows behind Beomgyu. The four continue watching Christmas movies until the clock strikes ten-thirty, and the twins start falling asleep. Beomgyu and Taehyun take them upstairs, they brush their teeth, change into their pajamas, before Beomgyu and Taehyun tuck them in, kissing them goodnight. Beomgyu and Taehyun return downstairs and continue watching Christmas movies, Taehyun sitting on Beomgyu’s lap as they eat snacks as well.

The doorbell doesn’t ring until thirty minutes later, which startles Taehyun. He looks at Beomgyu in surprise, but there’s also slight fear in his eyes.

“A-are you expecting someone?” he questions.

“I am, actually,” Beomgyu replies. He taps Taehyun’s hip, so Taehyun can get off his lap, and Taehyun does. Beomgyu heads to the door, and checks through the peephole. Indeed he sees his guards, and Kang Chaewon and Kang Jun-woo. Beomgyu smiles and opens the door.

“We’re here, Mr. Choi,” one of the guards announce. “We have the people you wanted us to bring.”

“Good,” Beomgyu says. “Thank you.” The guards nod, before they bow to Beomgyu, and walk away. Beomgyu looks at Taehyun’s parents, smiling at them. “Are you two Kang Chaewon and Kang Jun-woo?”

“Y-yes,” Chaewon replies, holding onto her husband’s hand with a tight grip. “W-who are you?”

“My name is Choi Beomgyu,” he introduces himself. “Don’t worry, you’re not in danger.”

“Th-then what are we doing here?” Jun-woo demands.

Beomgyu smiles, and he opens the door wider. “I am the owner of your son, Kang Taehyun, and I just brought you guys to him.” Chaewon’s and Jun-woo’s mouths drop in shock, and they subconsciously step inside Beomgyu’s mansion. Beomgyu closes the door behind them and leads them to the living room. Taehyun is too focused on the TV, so Beomgyu clears his throat. “Tyun, look, I brought you your Christmas present.”

“Huh?” Taehyun raises an eyebrow, looking at Beomgyu. But then Taehyun notices two people standing next to the silver-haired male, and his eyes widen, tears filling up in them as he recognizes and remembers who these two people are. “M-mom? D-dad?”

“T-Taehyun?” Chaewon says, tears already rolling down her face.

“M-mom!” Taehyun sobs and he is quick to get up from the couch, running to his parents. He basically jumps on them, holding them tightly as they all sob and cry together, holding onto each other as if their lives depend on it.

“I-I thought we would never see you again, Taehyun,” Jun-woo says, cupping his son’s face. “G-god, you’ve grown up so much.”

“Y-you were so small when we last saw you,” Chaewon adds.

“I-I missed you guys,” Taehyun says. “P-please never leave me.”

Jun-woo smiles through his tears and kisses Taehyun’s forehead. “We won’t.”

The Kangs continue hugging and holding onto each other, still not believing they're all together again. Even though Taehyun knows their meeting is illegal, he doesn’t want his parents to ever leave. 

“W-who brought you guys here?” he finally asks a few minutes later.

“Th-the Chois’ guards did,” Chaewon replies. “Y-your owner arranged the meeting.”

“B-Beomgyu did all this?” Taehyun softly says, not believing it.

Jun-woo nods. “W-why would he do it, though?”

Taehyun smiles, and he looks to his side, locking eyes with Beomgyu. The older just smiles at him and Taehyun smiles back. He hesitantly pulls away from his parents, and jumps on Beomgyu, holding him tightly.

“Th-thank you,” Taehyun whispers. _“Th-thank you_ , Beomgyu.”

The older smiles and he holds Taehyun just as tightly. “Anything for you, Tyun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy early holidays <3
> 
> tyun reuniting w his parents made me tear up a bit ngl


	20. Reminisce

If it weren’t for his parents, Taehyun would’ve never pulled away from Beomgyu, but he does, and Beomgyu lets him go. Taehyun smiles at him, before he goes back to his parents, hugging them again. Beomgyu smiles at the scene, and he soon quietly excuses himself to answer a call. The Kangs are now left alone, and what seems like hours later, they pull away. 

“We missed you so much, sweetie,” Chaewon says.

“I-I missed you guys, too,” Taehyun returns. He holds his parents’ hand, and he looks down at them. Both of his parents’ hands have wrinkles and calluses all over them. Taehyun knows it’s because they’ve been slaves for so long, but notices scars on their palms. Taehyun’s eyebrows slightly furrow, and he points to them, looking up at his parents. “W-what happened?”

“This happened the day you were taken away from us,” Jun-woo replies. “Don’t you remember, Taehyun?”

_“Daddy, look what mommy and I made!” he cheered as he showed Jun-woo a piece of paper that had three people holding hands, standing in front of a house._

_“Wow, that looks amazing, sweetie,” he said, smiling down at Taehyun, and picking him up._

_“Hi, honey,” Chaewon greeted as she went to her husband._

_“Hi, beautiful,” he returned. Jun-woo smiled, and he and Chaewon pecked each other’s lips. Taehyun scrunched up his nose, frowning slightly in disgust._

_“Ew, cooties,” he remarked._

_Jun-woo laughed, placing Taehyun down. “You’ll kiss your future partner, too, someday, Tae.”_

_“I want to get a cat,” he stated. “No partner. Cat.”_

_“We’ll see,” Chaewon chuckled. “Are you guys hungry? I haven’t made dinner yet, so we can all make it.”_

_“Okay,” Jun-woo agreed. “Tae, you wanna make dinner with mommy and daddy?”_

_“Okay!” Taehyun replied enthusiastically._

_Chaewon and Jun-woo laughed at their son’s enthusiasm before they all started making dinner. They started making Korean fried chicken, and just as Taehyun was handing the jar of sauce to his mom, they all heard the doorbell ring. Chaewon and Jun-woo looked at each other, fear growing in their eyes._

_“Y-you don’t think it’s_ them _, r-right?” Chaewon said._

 _“Hopefully it isn’t,” Jun-woo replied. “T-two weeks_ have _passed from Tae’s fifth birthday, though.”_

 _Chaewon nodded, and she quickly crouched down to Taehyun’s height. “Tae, no matter what you hear or see, go upstairs and hide in your closet. Stay in there until_ we _, mommy and daddy, tell you to come out, okay?”_

 _Taehyun was scared. He was just five years old, after all. What would happen to his mom and dad? Would they be okay? Would_ all _of them be okay? All Taehyun could do was nod, though, so he quickly ran upstairs to his room. He walked in and headed toward his closet. Since he was small, he fit in the closet perfectly and closed the door after him, now engulfed in darkness._

_Taehyun hugged his knees to his chest, staying silent as he heard strange voices talk with his parents. They mentioned his name and the word ‘slave.’ Whatever that meant. But Taehyun’s heart dropped when he heard footsteps walking up the stairs, and he bit his bottom lip to keep quiet. He heard the footsteps pass his room, and go into the rooms beside his. But they didn’t see Taehyun, so they went to his room. They checked under his bed, but Taehyun wasn’t there. They checked everywhere until the closet was the only place they hadn’t checked. One of them opened the door, seeing little five-year-old Taehyun sitting there, hugging his knees up to his chest._

_“Hi, Taehyun,” the slaves’ headquarter CEO, Ms. Park, said. “It’s_ so _nice to finally see you in person.”_

_Taehyun raised his head from his knees, locking eyes with Ms. Park. “W-who are you?”_

_“You can call me Ms. Park,” she allowed. “You’re coming with me.”_

_“N-no,” Taehyun denied. “I won’t let you.”_

_“I’m not asking,” Ms. Park said. She grabbed Taehyun’s hand, but he pulled away, kicking her leg._

_“L-leave me alone,” he frowned._

_“I didn’t want to do this the hard way, but you leave me no choice,” Ms. Park sighed. She nodded to one of the buff guards with her, and he picked Taehyun up. He tried making him let go, but the guard was too strong, and Taehyun was too weak._

_“C-can we say goodbye first?” Jun-woo asked._

_Ms. Park looked at him. “Fine. But quickly.”_

_Jun-woo nodded, and the guard let go of Taehyun. He quickly ran to his parents and jumped in their arms._

_“M-mommy, d-daddy, where are they taking me?” he questioned._

_Chaewon smiled, tears rolling down her face. She cupped Taehyun’s face and pressed a long kiss on his forehead. “I love you, Taehyun. Don’t forget that, okay? Mommy loves you.”_

_“Daddy loves you, too,” Jun-woo added. “We love you so much, Taehyun. Don’t ever forget that.”_

_“D-daddy, m-mommy, you’re scaring me,” Taehyun said._

_“Goodbye, Taehyun,” Chaewon said, before letting out a sob._

_“M-mommy?”_

_“Alright, time’s up,” Ms. Park announced._

_The buff guard picked Taehyun up, and he started screaming. He didn’t want to let go of his parents, and they didn’t want to, either. The three held onto each other tightly, crying, sobbing, and wailing until both of the guards harshly pulled Taehyun’s hands away from his parents. His nails left deep scratches behind, but his parents didn’t care that they were bleeding. They cared about the fact that their son was leaving, and they might never see him again._

“W-we still remember that day as if it was yesterday,” Chaewon says. “I-it was plain torture having to see them take you away, Taehyun.”

“I-it was torture for me, too, mom,” he says.

“I-is that how you got that scar?” Jun-woo asks, motioning to the scar on Taehyun’s face.

“I-I was a disobedient slave most of the time,” he mutters. “O-one of my masters had had enough, and slapped, punched, and kicked me all day and night. My face was swollen for many days, but it disappeared, leaving this scar behind.”

“We’re so sorry we brought you into this life, Taehyun,” Chaewon frowns. “I-if we were rich, we would live a much better life.”

“I-it’s okay, mom,” Taehyun assures. “At least I can see you guys again.”

“We can’t stay together forever, though,” Jun-woo reminds.

“Did your master say for how long we can stay?” Chaewon questions.

“H-he didn’t even tell me you guys were coming over,” Taehyun says. “Guess this is his Christmas present.”

“If you don’t marry him,” Jun-woo says jokingly.

Taehyun chuckles. “He’s already married, dad.” _But we still kiss behind his wife’s back and do so many other things, too._

“Where is he, anyway?” Chaewon inquires, barely noticing that Beomgyu isn’t there with them anymore.

“B-Beomgyu?” Taehyun calls out.

Jun-woo’s eyes widen. “He lets you call him by his real name?”

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun replies.

“Wow,” Chaewon says.

Beomgyu soon appears again, smiling at the other three. “Hi. Sorry, I had a call to take.”

“For how long will we be staying, Mr. Choi?” Jun-woo asks.

“Please, just call me Beomgyu,” he allows. “I talked with the guy I made the deal with, and he said that since it’s the holidays, most of the workers go home. The workers that _do_ stay over there are the janitors, but they barely pay attention to the slaves. They won’t know you guys are missing for probably more than three days.”

Chaewon smiles. “So, does that mean we can stay with Tae longer?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu assures. “Up to three days, maybe.”

“That’s great news,” Taehyun says. “Thanks, Gyu.”

“Of course,” he says. “I’ll leave you three alone to catch up. I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”

The Kangs nod, so Beomgyu smiles at them before he walks up the stairs. The Kangs smile at each other, and Taehyun leads them to the living room, where they all start catching up.

\--

The next morning, Taehyun wakes up around four a.m. Once he does, he’s surprised to see that his parents are also awake. They’re huddled close together near the fireplace, whispering amongst themselves. Taehyun smiles, but he doesn’t make any noise, so he can hear what his parents are talking about.

“Choi Beomgyu was so nice to bring us to Taehyun,” Chaewon says.

“He was,” Jun-woo agrees. “It’s a bummer he’s already married, though. Tae and he would make a great couple.”

“Jun, are you implying that you want Tae married already?” Chaewon asks. “He’s barely seventeen, for god’s sake.”

“Yeah, but didn’t you notice the way Choi Beomgyu looks at our son?” Jun-woo says. “Pure love. I would know because I have the same look when I look at you.”

Chaewon chuckles, playfully smacking her husband’s arm. “Oh, stop, you big flirt. Choi Beomgyu’s at least three years older than Taehyun. Tae will have to wait until he’s at least eighteen to get with Choi Beomgyu. That is if the male wasn’t already married.”

“I have a feeling they’re already ‘dating’ behind Choi Beomgyu’s wife,” Jun-woo says, which makes Taehyun’s eyes widen. 

“Why do you say that?” Chaewon asks.

“The way they look at each other,” Jun-woo replies. “Plus the fact that Choi Beomgyu brought us to Taehyun as his Christmas present. Choi Beomgyu wouldn’t have that done if he was a regular owner. Something is going on between them.”

“Even if there was, it’s wrong,” Chaewon frowns.

“I know,” Jun-woo sighs, leaning his head against his wife’s shoulder. 

Taehyun smiles. Maybe, after hearing his parents’ conversation, he can tell them that something _is_ going on between him and Beomgyu. His mom probably won’t be happy with the news, but she’ll still support him. His dad will be more than happy to hear the news, and even congratulate him that he found someone to love. Taehyun lets out a soft sigh and lays back down again to pretend to fall asleep. He eventually falls asleep for real, though, and knowing his parents are nearby to him this time makes him fall asleep with a smile on his face.

\--

The next time Taehyun wakes up, he hears chatter coming from the kitchen and dining room and knows everyone else is already up. There’s a blanket around his frame, which wasn’t there earlier. His parents or Beomgyu must’ve put one around him earlier. Taehyun smiles, and he sits up, seeing his mom and Beomgyu in the kitchen making breakfast. The more Taehyun stares at them, the more he notices that his parents are laughing and talking with the twins and Beomgyu, which makes him smile.

Taehyun gets up from the couch, and pads toward the kitchen. “Morning, everyone.”

“Ah, Kang Taehyun, don’t scare me like that,” his mom scolds, jumping at the sound of her son’s voice.

“Heh, sorry, mom,” he apologizes.

“You hungry, Tyun?” Beomgyu questions.

“Yes, actually,” Taehyun answers. _“You_ cooked breakfast, though, Gyu?”

“Yeah,” he says. “With your mom’s help, of course.”

“Beomgyu’s a better cook than you think,” she says.

Taehyun rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I always make breakfast, so that’s why I doubt Gyu knows how to cook.”

“Well, I do,” he huffs. “Just wait until you try my food, and your mind will be blown, Tyun.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” he says with a smile. Beomgyu rolls his eyes and Taehyun giggles. He kisses his mom’s cheek as a good morning, before going to the dining room, where his dad and the twins are, setting up the table. “Morning, everyone.”

“Taehyun-ah!” the twins squeal as soon as they notice the brunette. They drop the utensils they’re holding on the table, and run to Taehyun, ambushing his legs into a hug. Taehyun lets out a small ‘oof’, giggling.

“Hi, twins,” he greets.

“Were you sleeping, Taehyun-ah?” Yoonah asks.

“I was,” he admits. “I was very tired last night.”

Yeona smiles brightly. “I hope you had a very good sleep last night, Taehyun-ah!”

“Thanks, Yeo,” he says. Taehyun looks up and smiles at Jun-woo. “Morning, dad.”

“Morning, sweetie,” he returns. “About time you woke up.”

Taehyun smiles sheepishly. “Heh, sorry. How did you and mom sleep last night?”

“We slept fine,” Jun-woo replies. “You?”

“I slept fine, too,” Taehyun says. He heads toward his father and pecks his cheek as a good morning as well. At the gesture, Jun-woo smiles, and he surprises Taehyun by starting to tear up. Taehyun smiles and hugs Jun-woo. “It’s okay if you want to cry, dad.”

“I-I’m not crying,” he lies, sniffling.

“Sure you aren’t,” Taehyun chuckles.

“The food’s ready!” Chaewon announces as she and Beomgyu come in carrying the plates.

“Food!” Yoonah cheers.

Everyone laughs at her, and they start eating. The six make some light conversation as they eat, and twenty minutes later they’re all done. Beomgyu, Jun-woo, and the twins clean the table, whilst Taehyun and his mom do the dishes. Ten minutes later, everyone is done doing the chores they’re supposed to do, and wonder what they should do next.

Fortunately, Yeona knows exactly what to do. “Daddy, can we open our presents now?”

“Yeah, we waited all night until today, like you said,” Yoonah adds.

“Sure, twins,” Beomgyu allows. “Go open the presents.”

The twins squeal, and they run toward the living room, where their huge Christmas tree is. Beomgyu, Taehyun, and the twins went out to go buy the tree two weeks ago, and the twins were a big help when it came to decorating the tree. The four filled it with ornaments, lights, and candy canes. Beomgyu even took out the ornaments he and Jisoo bought when the twins were six months old, which was their first Christmas. When it came to putting the star on the tree, Yoonah and Yeona both volunteered, before Yeona chickened out, scared of how tall the tree is. Yoonah happily placed the star on top of the tree with Beomgyu’s help, and they safely got down. The rest of the house is decorated as well, which gives off more of a Christmas vibe.

Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Taehyun’s parents walk to the living room as well, where they see the twins already playing with their new gifts. Beomgyu smiles, and he crouches down to grab a few gift boxes. He turns around and hands them to Chaewon and Jun-woo.

“I-I didn’t know what to get you guys, so I got these,” Beomgyu says, a bit nervously. “I-I hope you like it.”

“B-Beomgyu, you didn’t have to,” Chaewon says. 

“Yeah,” Jun-woo agrees. “W-we can’t accept these.”

“Yes, you can,” Beomgyu opposes. “You guys probably never got a Christmas gift, so open it. Please.” Chaewon and Jun-woo sigh in defeat and open up their gift. Taehyun smiles, but Beomgyu grabs his attention by grabbing his hand. “Don’t think I forgot about you, too.”

“Gyu, you already gave me my present,” he reminds. “A big and risky one, may I add.”

“You deserve all the presents in the world, Tyun,” Beomgyu says. He hands the gift to Taehyun. “Open it.”

“Beomgyu…”

“Open it, you big baby,” he chuckles. “You’ll love it.”

Taehyun sighs, and hesitantly unwraps the ribbon around the box. He takes off the decorative wrapper, and it reveals a plain white box. Taehyun is a bit eager, but confused at the same time, taking the lid off the box. He looks down, and his mouth drops when he sees a camera inside.

“You got me _a camera_?!” he exclaims, looking at Beomgyu.

“Yeah,” he replies. “I’ve noticed how much you love taking pictures on your phone, so I decided to give you a real camera. You’ll probably get into photography more.”

Taehyun tears up, looking at Beomgyu. The silver-haired male just looks back at him with a smile, and Taehyun jumps on him, wrapping his arms tightly around the older.

“Thank you,” Taehyun whispers.

Beomgyu smiles, and he wraps his arms around Taehyun’s slim waist, holding him just as tightly. “Of course. Anything for you.”

The six spend the rest of the day together, and when six o’clock rolls around, everyone starts getting ready. Taehyun and his mom go up to his room to get ready, whilst Jun-woo and Beomgyu go to Beomgyu’s room. Taehyun lets his mom shower first, and borrow some of his clothes before he takes a shower. When he steps out, he sees his mom dressed in a nice pink blouse and black loose pants, black leather ankle boots on her feet. 

“You look beautiful, mom,” Taehyun says.

“Thanks, sweetie,” she says with a smile. “Are you going to get dressed?”

Taehyun nods. “Yeah.”

“Okay, I’ll turn around,” Chaewon says.

Taehyun nods again, not minding that his mom is here whilst he changes. He rummages through his clothes until he takes out a red velvet long-sleeve crop top, black jeans that he knows hug his thighs and curves nicely, and the same type of boots as his mom. He changes into them before his mom helps him slightly curl his brown hair, and puts tawny-orange eyeshadow with a bit of glitter, liquid eyeliner and mascara, and a layer of red lipstick. 

“Do I look good, mom?” he asks.

Chaewon smiles. “You look beautiful, sweetie.”

Taehyun smiles back. “Thanks, mom. You look beautiful, too.”

“Let’s just hope your dad likes it,” she mutters.

“He will,” Taehyun assures.

Chaewon nods and she and Taehyun walk out of his room. They know the rest are downstairs, so that’s where they head, seeing them in the kitchen. Taehyun notices Beomgyu first, and he is dressed in a nice button-up and black slacks. He has some light makeup on, and his hair is normal. Beomgyu looks handsome, more than that, even, in Taehyun’s eyes, and he smiles when the two make eye contact.

“Wow,” Beomgyu says, slowly raking his eyes up and down Taehyun’s figure. “You look _amazing_ , Tyun.”

The brunette smiles. “You look amazing, too, Gyu.”

Jun-woo is dressed in the same attire as Beomgyu, which makes him handsome. He and Chaewon compliment each other, and Taehyun notices that the twins are dressed in matching long-sleeved velvet dresses, just different colors. Their hair this time is up in a braided updo or a waterfall braid, and they look happy to look so pretty. Taehyun compliments them, and they compliment him back.

Beomgyu and Taehyun then team up to make the food. They make amazing roast beef, kimchi stew, stuffing, egg nog, roasted chestnut pie, and hot chocolate as dessert. They all plan on enjoying the dinner Beomgyu and Taehyun make, but before they can all settle down to start eating, they hear the doorbell ring.

“You invited someone?” Taehyun asks, looking at Beomgyu in slight surprise.

“I invited Soobin-hyung and the others, but they told me they couldn’t come,” he replies, just as surprised as Taehyun is. “I’ll go open the door.” The others nod, and Beomgyu gets up. He walks toward the door, and opens it, totally not expecting to see his _parents_ outside the door, dressed up just as nice as everyone else is. “M-mom? D-dad?”

“Hey, Beom,” she greets with a smile. “Wow, you dressed up nice.”

“Th-thanks,” Beomgyu mutters. “What are you guys doing here? I thought you guys couldn’t come for Christmas.”

“Well, the snow cleared up in Daegu,” his dad explains. “May we come in?”

“O-of course,” Beomgyu answers. He opens the door wider, and his parents step inside. They take off their coats, hanging them on the coathanger. 

“Wow, the decorations look amazing,” his mom says as she looks around.

“Thanks,” Beomgyu says. “Are you guys hungry? We were just about to eat.”

“We’re starving,” his dad responds.

“Follow me, then,” Beomgyu says.

His parents nod, and Beomgyu leads them to the dining room. Once they arrive, Beomgyu’s parents smile at the twins, but they are surprised to see three strangers sitting at the table as well.

“Grandma! Grandpa!” the twins squeal as they notice their grandparents.

“Hi, twins,” Beomgyu’s mom says with a smile, extending out her arms. The twins hug her first before they hug their grandfather. Beomgyu’s mom gets Yoonah, whilst Beomgyu’s dad gets Yeona.

“Beom, who are these people?” he asks.

“Mom, Dad, this is Kang Taehyun,” Beomgyu introduces, motioning to the brunette.

Taehyun is quick to stand up, bowing to Beomgyu’s parents. “H-hello, Mr., and Mrs. Choi.”

“Hi, Taehyun,” she says. “I love your outfit.”

Taehyun smiles. “Th-thanks. I-I love yours, too.”

“And these are Taehyun’s parents,” Beomgyu finishes, motioning to Chaewon and Jun-woo.

The two get up and hesitantly extend their hand for the Chois to shake. The Chois do, smiling at the Kangs.

“Is Taehyun your friend, Beom?” his dad questions. “We’ve never met him before.”

“Taehyun is actually my slave,” Beomgyu informs, which makes Taehyun’s eyes wide.

“Oh, really?” Surprisingly, Beomgyu’s parents don’t seem mad at all.

“Yeah,” Beomgyu says. “We got him back in February.”

“Wow,” Beomgyu’s mom says. “So you’ve been with Beomgyu, Jisoo, and the twins for more than nine months, Taehyun?”

“Y-yes, ma’am,” he replies.

“Please, call me Eunji,” she allows.

“I-if you don’t mind me asking,” Chaewon speaks up, “aren’t you two mad that Taehyun, my husband, and I are slaves?”

“Not at all, Mrs. Kang,” Beomgyu’s dad replies. “We don’t believe in the slave laws, and we think they’re stupid.”

“That’s why we never owned any slaves, except for the ones we bought to keep Beomgyu’s dad in place at his company,” Eunji adds. 

“So, it runs in the family,” Taehyun notices.

“Yeah,” Eunji says. “Speaking of which, where is Jisoo, Beom?”

“She’s on a business trip,” he answers.

“Still?” His dad’s eyebrows raise slightly. “I thought she would’ve returned already.”

Beomgyu shakes his head. “You know how strict her workplace is.”

“Those bastards,” Eunji grumbles.

The rest of the adults and Taehyun chuckle at her remark, and the eight continue eating dinner together. Taehyun learns a bit from Beomgyu’s childhood, even a few embarrassing stories, and Beomgyu learns the bit of childhood Taehyun had from his parents. The eight enjoy their time together, and when it’s time for dessert, Beomgyu’s parents share how Beomgyu and Jisoo met, the twins wanting to hear the story again.

“Well, twins, your daddy and mommy met back in fifth grade,” Beomgyu’s dad starts. “Your daddy was friends with your Soobin, Yeonjun, and Hueningkai Oppa, and your Kai Oppa was the one who introduced your daddy to your mommy.”

“I still remember how you hated those braces we made you have,” Eunji giggles. “You hated them so much because you thought it would make Jisoo think you were a nerd.”

“She _did_ think that thanks to you guys,” Beomgyu grumbles.

“Wait, I thought Beomgyu and Jisoo met in high school,” Taehyun speaks up.

“No?” Beomgyu’s dad says. “Who told you that?”

“Yeonjun-hyung,” Taehyun mutters.

Eunji rolls her eyes at the mention of Yeonjun. “Never believe anything that comes out of that boy’s mouth. It’s all lies.”

“W-what do you mean by that?” Taehyun hesitantly asks.

“Mom, don’t,” Beomgyu warns.

“Beom, Taehyun’s practically your second wife by now,” Eunji states. “He deserves to know.”

“Okay, but not now,” Beomgyu says. “Right now we’re enjoying our Christmas dinner, so save that story for another time.”

“Whatever, then,” Eunji sighs. She and her husband continue talking about how Beomgyu and Jisoo met and fell in love, but all Taehyun can think about is how Beomgyu didn’t want his mom to talk about what is ‘wrong’ with Yeonjun. Do Beomgyu’s parents not like Yeonjun? Did Yeonjun ever do anything to the other Beomgyu's family? What's the tea? Taehyun wants to know, but it seems as if Beomgyu doesn’t want him to, which makes Taehyun wonder why.

Taehyun sighs, deciding he can ask Beomgyu about this later.

\--

Fortunately, Beomgyu soon learns that Taehyun’s parents can stay until January second. When he tells the news to Taehyun and his parents, the three are thrilled that they can spend more time together. Beomgyu’s parents are also able to stay until next month, so the eight are very thrilled they can spend more time together. As the days pass by, New Year’s day comes closer. Everyone is already ready to drop the year they’re in, waiting for the new one.

When December thirty-first finally arrives, everyone is relieved. They set everything up for their small New Year’s party amongst them, but Beomgyu sets every clock to three hours ahead since the twins can’t stay up that late. When the clock strikes nine p.m., everyone acts as if it’s already midnight, and the twins fall for it. They eat their grapes and juice before they go upstairs to brush their teeth, change into their pajamas, and fall asleep. 

As the clock nears twelve, the other six continue hanging out with each other. When the clock strikes eleven-thirty, Beomgyu takes out two bottles of champagne from the liquor cabinet, and a cider juice bottle for Taehyun, since he isn’t old enough to drink yet. Beomgyu’s dad takes out the glasses, and when the clock strikes 11:55, everyone is standing in the dining room, ready to do the countdown.

But they don’t expect the doorbell to ring once again.

“Did you invite Soobin-hyung and the others again?” Taehyun asks.

“No,” Beomgyu mutters. He gets up from the chair he’s sitting on and walks to the door. He opens it, but his eyes widen when he sees _Jisoo_ on the other side of the door. “J-Jisoo?”

“Surprise!” she says, holding two bags. Jisoo smiles, and she engulfs Beomgyu into a hug. Beomgyu is surprised, but he eventually hugs Jisoo back.

“W-what are you doing here?” he questions as he pulls away.

“Don’t you want me to be here?” Jisoo says.

“I-I do,” Beomgyu quickly assures. “I-I just… You didn’t tell me.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Jisoo explains as she steps inside their mansion. She takes off her coat, handing the two bags to Beomgyu. “Are your parents here?”

“Yeah,” he replies, still a bit dazed that Jisoo is here. “Th-they’re in the kitchen.” Jisoo nods, and she pecks Beomgyu’s lips before she walks toward the kitchen. Once she arrives, she opens her mouth to greet her in-laws, but doesn’t expect to see two other people beside them and Taehyun. “O-oh, hi.”

“N-noona,” he says, breathless and surprised. “W-what are you doing here?”

“I came home early to surprise you guys,” Jisoo says. “You guys don’t seem too excited, though.”

“W-we are,” Taehyun partially lies. “W-we just didn’t expect you.”

Jisoo nods. She turns to Taehyun’s parents. “Hi. I’m Choi Jisoo, Beomgyu’s wife. And you two are?”

“W-we’re Taehyun’s parents,” Chaewon replies.

Jisoo’s eyes widen. “Wow, really?”

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun says. “B-Beomgyu was able to bring them here.”

“Wow,” Jisoo says. “Beomgyu would’ve never done that for me if I was a slave, and we were married.”

Taehyun nervously chuckles, but Jisoo goes to greet his and Beomgyu’s parents. Beomgyu arrives in the kitchen, and he and Taehyun lock eyes. Beomgyu nods, so Taehyun looks away.

“One more minute until it’s a new year,” Jun-woo announces as he looks at the clock.

“Time to serve the champagne and juice, then,” Eunji says.

Everyone serves their own cup, and count down until midnight. When the clock strikes midnight, everyone cheers, turning to kiss their partners. Beomgyu and Taehyun weren’t originally going to kiss during midnight, anyway, since their parents are here, but it still doesn’t take the pain away from Taehyun when Jisoo turns to kiss Beomgyu. Taehyun lets out a small smile, continuing to drink his juice. He’s the only one without a kissing partner, and he tries to ignore that fact. The seven continue hanging out in the dining room until the clock turns one a.m., and Beomgyu stands up from the kitchen island.

“Excuse me, I’m going to go to the bathroom,” he declares, sparing Taehyun a glance.

Taehyun nods, and he waits for a minute until he gets up as well. “I-I’m going to my room to get something.”

“Be back quickly, Tae,” Jisoo says. “You don’t want to miss out on all the tea.”

“I’ll be back soon, then,” Taehyun says. Jisoo nods, and she turns to continue speaking with Beomgyu’s and Taehyun’s parents. Taehyun walks up the stairs and heads toward Beomgyu’s and Jisoo’s bedroom, where he knows Beomgyu is. Once Taehyun arrives, he steps inside, seeing Beomgyu pacing the room. He hears Taehyun arrive, so he looks up. “D-did you know noona was going to come back?”

“No,” he replies. “She didn’t tell me.”

Taehyun closes the door behind him but forgets to lock it. “What are we going to do? I don’t want her back yet. I even had a present I wanted to show you tonight.”

Beomgyu raises an eyebrow. “What type of present?”

Taehyun sighs, and he slightly crouches down to pull up his pant leg, revealing the white stockings underneath. _“This_ type of present.”

Beomgyu sighs this time. “Ugh, I’m sorry, Tyun. I didn’t know she was going to come back today.”

“It’s fine,” he assures. “It isn’t your fault, anyway.”

Beomgyu nods, and he walks closer toward Taehyun. Beomgyu cups the younger’s face and looks at him. Taehyun just looks back at him, so Beomgyu finally connects their lips. Taehyun sighs in relief, and he wraps his arms around Beomgyu’s neck. Beomgyu lowers his hands until they reach Taehyun’s slim waist, pulling him closer. Taehyun makes Beomgyu walk backward, without breaking the kiss until the back of Beomgyu’s knees hit the mattress. Beomgyu falls on the bed, and Taehyun climbs on top of him. They continue kissing and don’t hear the door open until they hear the familiar clicking of heels hitting the floor.

Soon, they hear, “G-guys?”

Jisoo.


	21. Out

_“G-guys?”_

Beomgyu and Taehyun are quick to pull away from each other, Taehyun almost falling off the bed at how quickly he got off Beomgyu. Once they look at who’s standing at the entrance of Beomgyu’s and Jisoo’s bedroom, they notice that it isn’t in fact Jisoo who’s there. It’s actually Beomgyu’s mother, Eunji, but Beomgyu and Taehyun still don’t know if that makes matters worse or better.

“H-hi, mom,” Beomgyu speaks up, sitting up. “W-what are you doing here?”

“I-I came to ask you something,” his mom says. “O-obviously I should’ve knocked first.” Eunji turns her gaze to the floor before she starts walking away. Beomgyu curses under his breath and gets up from the bed to run after his mom. He catches her in the hallway fortunately and grabs her arm.

“M-mom, wait,” Beomgyu says. 

“D-do you need anything, Beomgyu?” his mom asks.

“W-what you saw back th-there-”

“Was a trick?” Eunji guesses, raising an eyebrow. “I may be old, Beomgyu, but I’m not stupid. You and Taehyun were definitely kissing each other. I’m not blind.”

“A-are you…”

“Mad?” Eunji guesses again. “Hm, let me think. My _loyal_ son has been cheating on his _loyal_ wife for god knows long, I’m the one that catches him, he tries to deny it, and of all people, my son is cheating on his wife with his damn _slave_. How do you think I feel, Beomgyu?”

“M-mom, if you would just-”

“Don’t you _dare_ say another word, Beomgyu,” she interrupts. Eunji harshly pulls her arm away from Beomgyu’s grip, glaring at him. “Your father and I are leaving, and we’re coming back tomorrow. If I see that your ‘slave’ isn’t gone by then, I’m kicking him out myself.”

“M-mom-”

“Goodbye, Beomgyu,” she says. Eunji turns away from her son, and she walks down the stairs without another word or glance. Beomgyu hears her and his dad talking, before they say their goodbyes to Jisoo and hesitantly to Taehyun’s parents, and leave the Chois’ mansion. Beomgyu sighs, shaking his head. 

“B-Beomgyu?”

Turning around, the silver-haired male sees Taehyun, a scared look on his face and in his eyes. His body is slightly trembling, and Beomgyu can tell Taehyun is struggling to hold his tears back.

“Taehyun,” Beomgyu says.

“W-where’s your mom?” Taehyun asks.

“She…left,” Beomgyu replies. “With my dad.”

“O-oh,” Taehyun says in a small voice, guessing why Beomgyu’s parents left. “I-is she mad?”

“Yeah,” he sighs.

“I’m sorry, Beomgyu,” Taehyun frowns.

Beomgyu looks at Taehyun confused. “What are you sorry for, Tyun?”

“I-if I had just locked the d-door, w-we wouldn’t be in this s-situation,” he says, finally letting his tears fall. “I-I’m sorry.”

“Hey, baby, this isn’t your fault,” Beomgyu says softly, going over toward Taehyun. Beomgyu wraps his arms around the younger, bringing him into a hug.

“Y-yes it is,” he insists, choking back a sob. “I-if I had just locked the damn d-door, y-your mom would’ve never found out about u-us.”

“Hey, we didn’t know she was going to come in without knocking,” Beomgyu says pointedly. He pulls away and wipes away the tears that fall from Taehyun’s eyes. Beomgyu pushes back Taehyun’s bangs, and softly kisses his forehead, cupping his jaw. _“None_ of this is your fault, Taehyun. None of it, so don’t blame yourself.”

Taehyun nods, and he digs his face in the crook of Beomgyu’s chest. “A-are you mad at me?”

“Of course not,” he assures. 

“O-okay,” Taehyun whispers.

The two then just stand there, in each other’s arms, not daring to pull away. Finally, they break out of their trance when they hear Taehyun’s dad laughing downstairs, so they pull away. They walk downstairs after Taehyun makes sure it isn’t obvious he was crying, and join Taehyun’s parents and Jisoo back in the kitchen. 

“Hi, guys,” Beomgyu greets, sliding in the chair next to Jisoo.

“Hi,” she returns. “Your parents left already, by the way.”

“Oh, really?” Beomgyu acts surprised. “Did they say why?”

“They said they had an important project to do tomorrow morning,” Jun-woo says. “Do you know anything about that, Beom?”

“No,” he lies. “What were you guys talking about?”

Chaewon’s eyes light up at that, and she starts explaining what they were talking about, laughing here and there. Everyone is laughing, except for Taehyun. He only lets out small smiles whenever the others laugh but doesn’t laugh with them. Beomgyu doesn’t fail to notice, which makes him worry about Taehyun. Beomgyu sighs, deciding to deal with it later.

Around two hours later, everyone is asleep. Everyone except for Beomgyu. He’s back in his bedroom, ‘sleeping’ next to Jisoo. The older female is already asleep, snoring softly. Beomgyu has tried numerous times falling asleep, but his body doesn't let him. Maybe because the only thing that runs through his head are the words that his mom told him earlier, which were if Taehyun isn’t gone by the time she and her husband come back later this day, she’s going to kick Taehyun out herself. Beomgyu sighs. He doesn’t want to kick Taehyun out; he loves Taehyun way too much to do that.

Maybe if things were the way they were back in February, none of this would ever happen.

But then again, Beomgyu would’ve never found the _real_ love of his life, so he doesn’t know whether he prefers to be stuck in this situation, or to have things the way they were in February.

Beomgyu lets out a small groan, rolling to his side. That must’ve seemed to wake up Jisoo, though, because she stirs in her sleep before her eyes slowly flutter open.

“D-dear?” she says groggily. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu replies. “Go back to sleep, dear. Sorry for waking you.”

“What are you doing awake?” Jisoo asks.

“I can’t sleep,” Beomgyu says, which is partially the truth. “Go back to sleep. You have an early flight tomorrow.”

“That’s the day after tomorrow,” Jisoo corrects. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Beomgyu lies. “Just go back to sleep, dear. I’ll explain everything tomorrow. Right now is too late to be talking.”

Jisoo sighs, knowing Beomgyu is right. “Fine. But you better explain everything tomorrow, Choi.”

“I will,” he says.

Jisoo nods before she goes back to the sleeping position she was in. Beomgyu heaves back another sigh. Before Jisoo went off on her business trip, she would always cuddle up next to Beomgyu. But now she falls asleep on her own, making sure there’s a distance between her and Beomgyu. Yet, the male doesn’t seem to mind, only wishing it was _Taehyun_ who was sleeping next to him.

Beomgyu rolls to the other side, and that’s when he catches a glimpse of his phone. He remembers Yeonjun and the others, which makes an idea pop into his head. He grabs his phone, noticing the time; 3:23 in the morning. Normal people would be asleep by now, but Choi Yeonjun is known for sleeping at crazy hours in the morning. To that thought, Beomgyu opens Yeonjun’s contact and starts typing a message to him.

 **beomgyu:** **  
**hyung r u awake

It takes a few minutes, but Yeonjun soon replies.

 **yeonjun:** **  
**ofc i’m not, i was just in the bathroom, sorry

 **yeonjun:** **  
**what’s up beom

 **beomgyu:** **  
**r u busy tmrw?

 **yeonjun:** **  
**no, why?

 **beomgyu:** **  
**i was wondering if u could take taehyun out shopping tmrw morning

 **yeonjun:** **  
**oh um sure but can’t u take him?

 **beomgyu:** **  
**my parents r going to be over so i can’t

 **beomgyu:** **  
**so r u sure u can take him?

 **yeonjun:** **  
**ya beom

 **yeonjun:** **  
**what time?

 **beomgyu:** **  
**around eight in the morning

 **beomgyu:** **  
**is that ok?

 **yeonjun:** **  
**ya ofc

 **yeonjun:** **  
**is that all then?

 **beomgyu:** **  
**yeah

 **beomgyu:** **  
**thanks, hyung

 **yeonjun:** **  
**ofc

 **yeonjun:** **  
**goodnight then beom

 **beomgyu:** **  
**goodnight hyung  
_read at 3:32 a.m._

Beomgyu reads over his and Yeonjun’s messages before he places his phone where it was on the nightstand. Beomgyu sighs, and pulls the sheets up to his chin. He snuggles against them and pillow, closing his eyes as he tries to fall asleep for real this time.

-

Twenty minutes later, Taehyun wakes up. It is 3:52 by the time he does, and he can hear slight chatter coming from his bed, where his parents slept. They offered to sleep where Taehyun is, on the floor, but he denied, saying that they deserve to sleep on a proper bed for once. Fortunately, Taehyun’s bed is big enough to fit up to at least five people, so his parents had no trouble fitting on his bed. 

“M-mom?” he calls out. “D-dad?”

“Morning, Tae,” his mom greets. “Come up here.”

Taehyun smiles, and he gets up from his small bed on the floor. He climbs on top of his real bed and settles in between his parents. Since he’s between them, they both engulf him in his arms, and he accepts them happily.

“How’d you guys sleep?” he asks.

“We slept fine, thanks to your bed,” his dad replies. “How about you?”

“I slept fine, too,” Taehyun partially lies. He _did_ sleep well, but since it’s been a long while that he’s slept on the floor, sleeping on the floor earlier made his back sore.

“That’s nice,” his mom says. “Happy New Year, guys.”

Jun-woo smiles, and he leans in, avoiding Taehyun’s head as he pecks his wife’s lips. “Happy New Year, Chae.”

“You guys are nasty,” Taehyun mutters, “but Happy New Year.”

Chaewon giggles. “What do you have in mind to do today, Tae?”

“Not much,” he admits. “Beomgyu usually goes to work, the twins go to school, and I stay here taking care of the house. But now that it’s the holidays, Beomgyu and the twins will stay here, as well as Jisoo, and I won’t be alone for once.”

“That’s good,” Jun-woo says. “By the way, did something happen last night?”

Taehyun looks at Jun-woo confused. “What do you mean, dad?”

Jun-woo shrugs. “I don’t know. I just felt like something was wrong.”

“I felt it, too,” Chaewon agrees. “Especially after Beomgyu’s parents left, and you and Beomgyu came down from downstairs.”

“Did anything happen?” Jun-woo asks.

“No,” Taehyun lies, gulping at the memories of last night. “N-nothing happened, mom. Dad.”

“You sure?” she says. “You seemed out of it last night, too.”

“I was just tired,” Taehyun says, which isn’t technically a lie. “Everything’s fine. Don’t worry.”

Chaewon and Jun-woo look at each other, not sure if they should believe their son or not. Ultimately, they decide to question him about it again at a better time than at three in the morning, so they cuddle closer to their son and don’t say anything for a while.

\--

Four hours later, Beomgyu is the last to wake up. Once he wakes up, Beomgyu feels a space next to him and knows Jisoo is awake. Before Jisoo went on her business trip, and they wouldn’t have anything urgent to go to in the morning, Jisoo would wait until Beomgyu woke up, cuddling to his chest. She wouldn’t get up until Beomgyu did, so they could start the day together. But now that she’s back, it seems as if she changed.

Beomgyu decides he can worry about this later since it’s too early in the morning. He gets up from the bed and pulls on his slippers. He gets out of his and Jisoo’s room, heading down the stairs, hearing chatter coming from the kitchen and dining room. He walks down the stairs, seeing the twins in their Christmas onesies in the living room, watching _Pinkalicious & Peterrific _on the TV, whilst they eat pancakes shaped like a reindeer. 

“Morning, twins,” Beomgyu greets.

“Morning, daddy!” they return in unison, syrup and whipped cream all around their mouths.

Beomgyu chuckles. “Twins, don’t eat so messily. You have syrup and whipped cream all over your mouth.”

“Ooh, really?” Yoonah says. She licks around her mouth, making a loud slurp sound. Beomgyu shakes his head and walks toward them to kiss their foreheads.

“Did you guys sleep well?” he asks.

“Mhm,” Yeona replies. “Daddy, why didn’t you tell us mommy had arrived?”

“That was very rude,” Yoonah adds.

“You guys were asleep by the time she came home,” Beomgyu explains. “I didn’t want to wake you guys up.”

“Still,” Yeona says. “It’s mommy.”

“Guess you have point, then, Yeo,” Beomgyu sighs. “Is everyone in the kitchen?”

Yoonah nods. “Yup.”

“Thanks, twins,” Beomgyu says, smiling at them, before heading to the kitchen. Once he arrives, he immediately notices Taehyun in a big red oversized Christmas sweater and matching fluffy Christmas pajama pants. The sleeves of his sweater are rolled up as he cooks some pancakes on the stove. Beomgyu smiles at the sight of Taehyun, wishing he can take out his phone to take a picture of the younger. “Morning, everyone.”

Jisoo is the second to turn around, after Taehyun of course, but he’s quick to turn back around. “Morning, dear.”

“How’d you sleep, Beomgyu?” Jun-woo questions.

“I slept fine,” Beomgyu partially lies. “You?”

“Fine, too,” Jun-woo answers. “You hungry? We’re making some pancakes.”

“Starving, actually,” Beomgyu mutters. He checks the clock, seeing that it’s 7:08. Beomgyu remembers the conversation he had with Yeonjun last night. “Taehyun, I need to speak with you privately in the dining room.”

Taehyun slightly tenses, but he nods, placing the spatula down. He lets out a shaky breath and follows Beomgyu into the dining room. Beomgyu closes the door behind them and notices Taehyun averting eye contact with him.

“W-what do you need to talk about?” Taehyun asks.

“Do you want to go shopping?” Beomgyu says.

“Not really,” Taehyun admits. “Why?”

“Yeonjun-hyung wants to take you,” Beomgyu informs.

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen. “W-what? Why?”

Beomgyu sighs. “My…mom said that she and my dad would return today, and if she sees you here still by the time they arrive, she’s going to kick you out herself. She…doesn’t want you here, Tyun.”

“So hyung’s just taking me out as a distraction?” 

“Yeah.”

Taehyun sighs. “Thanks, but no thanks, Beomgyu. If your mom has something to say to me, she can say it to me herself. She’s not my owner, and can’t kick me out unless you or Jisoo do. She has no power over me, so I’m not scared of her.”

“Taehyun, she’s my mom,” Beomgyu reminds.

Taehyun still isn’t fazed. “So? I’m not scared of her. She can suck my dick, for all I care. No offense.”

“None taken,” Beomgyu chuckles. “But still. Can you go with hyung, please, Tyun? You guys haven’t seen each other in a while, and that gives me a chance to explain myself to my mom.”

“Fine,” Taehyun gives in. “But only if noona comes with me.”

“Okay, sure, but why?” Beomgyu asks.

“Your mom might threaten to tell Jisoo our secret if she stays here,” Taehyun says pointedly. 

“True,” Beomgyu mutters. “Fine, I’ll tell her. Are you…still mad or whatever about last night?”

“No,” Taehyun lies. “I’m fine. Now, are we done? I need to continue cooking.”

Beomgyu nods. “You look cute in that sweater, by the way.”

Taehyun wasn’t expecting that comment, so his face immediately turns red. He looks down at the floor. “Th-thanks.” Beomgyu nods again with a proud smile, and he and Taehyun walk out of the dining room. Taehyun continues cooking, and Beomgyu helps them as he talks with the rest, mainly Taehyun’s parents, since Taehyun stays quiet, and Jisoo listens to their conversation, whilst speaking up here and there. Once everyone is done eating minutes later, Jisoo and Taehyun pick up everyone’s plates, placing them in the sink. They start washing the dishes together, and Taehyun remembers his and Beomgyu’s conversation earlier. “Noona?” 

Jisoo hums. “Yeah?”

“Are you going to be free today?” Taehyun questions.

“I think so,” Jisoo replies. “Why?”

“Well, um, Yeonjun-hyung invited us to go shopping,” Taehyun partially lies. Yeonjun actually only invited _Taehyun_ , but Jisoo doesn’t need to know that. “He really wants you to come, too, so can you?”

“Sure,” she says. “When?”

Taehyun glances at the time; 7:45. “In fifteen minutes.”

Jisoo’s eyes widen. “Oh, shit, really? Do you mind finishing the dishes, Tae? I need to get ready. I haven’t even showered.”

“Sure, noona,” Taehyun chuckles. “Go get ready.”

“Thanks, Tae,” Jisoo mutters before she rinses and dries her hands. She leaves the kitchen, and Taehyun can hear her rushing upstairs.

“Did you tell Jisoo?” Beomgyu asks out of nowhere, surprising Taehyun.

“Yeah,” he replies. 

Beomgyu nods. “I’ll take care of the rest of the dishes, Tyun. Go get ready.”

“Thanks, Gyu,” he says. 

Taehyun rinses and dries his hands before he leaves the kitchen to his head to his room. He hopes Beomgyu already told the news to his parents, and they hopefully understand. As Taehyun walks into his bedroom, he starts undressing, walking toward his closet. He rummages through it until he finds what he wants to wear, and changes into a pastel pink hoodie crop top, black ripped jeans, and white shoes. He slips on a pair of socks and the shoes, does his makeup and hair quickly, before grabbing his stuff. He walks out of his room, just in time to see Jisoo, dressed in a black floral short-sleeve crop and blue jeans, stepping out of her room.

“You ready, Tae?” she questions as she notices the younger.

“Yeah,” he answers. “You?”

“Of course,” Jisoo says. “What time is it?”

Taehyun takes out his phone to check the time. “7:51.”

“Yeonjun should be here soon, then,” Jisoo muses.

Taehyun nods in agreement, and he and Jisoo walk downstairs. Jisoo walks toward the kitchen to be with Beomgyu probably, so Taehyun walks toward the living room, where he sees his parents and the twins.

“Hi, everyone,” he greets.

“Hi, Taehyun-ah,” Yoonah returns. “Ooh, you look nice. Are you going somewhere?”

“I am, actually,” Taehyun admits. “Mom, dad, a friend of mine is taking Jisoo-noona and I shopping. Do you guys want to go?”

“We’ll stay here, Taehyun,” his mom replies. “It’s not like we can take the stuff we buy with us, anyway, back at headquarters.”

“W-what if you guys _don’t_ leave?” Taehyun says.

“Tae, we all know your mom and I are going to,” Jun-woo says pointedly.

“I don’t want you guys to,” Taehyun frowns. “What if we never see each other again?”

“Well, luckily for us, Ms. Park lets the slaves’ children see their parents when they start dying,” Chaewon reminds. 

“I don’t want to see you guys when you’re dying,” Taehyun says. “I want to see you guys up and healthy.”

“We all die at some point, Tae,” Jun-woo says. “That’s just how life is.”

“W-what if Beomgyu bought you two?” Taehyun suggests, getting the idea out of nowhere.

Chaewon’s eyes widen. “Taehyun, do you know how much buying a slave costs?”

“Around one hundred thousand dollars,” he mutters. “B-but Beomgyu’s rich. He won’t have a problem buying you guys.”

“Even if he does have the money, slaves who are parents can’t be with their children,” Jun-woo says. “Nor can it be vice versa.”

“Stupid fucking law,” Taehyun curses under his breath.

“Yah, Kang Taehyun, no cursing,” his mom scolds.

“Sorry,” Taehyun apologizes.

“Tae, come on, we have to leave,” Jisoo calls out, getting off the phone with Yeonjun.

“I-I’ll meet you outside,” Taehyun says. Jisoo nods and walks outside. Taehyun turns back to his parents. “Are you guys sure you don’t want to go?”

“We’re sure,” Jun-woo says. “Have fun shopping, Tae. We’ll be waiting for you right here.”

“O-okay,” he frowns. Taehyun gets up, and he kisses both his mom and dad on the cheek. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t leave without me.”

“We won’t,” Chaewon assures, even though she, Jun-woo, nor Taehyun have the power over that. “Be safe, Taehyun. We love you.”

Taehyun smiles. “I love you guys, too.”

His parents smile back, and Taehyun says bye to the twins and Beomgyu before he walks outside. He can see a dark blue Bugatti Chiron outside. Taehyun has a sense that’s Yeonjun’s car, so he walks toward it, and gets inside, indeed seeing Yeonjun and Jisoo in the front.

“Hi, Tae,” he greets once the youngest gets in the car.

“Hi,” he returns. “Which mall do you guys want to go to?”

“The mall we went with the girls last time,” Jisoo replies as Taehyun pulls on his seatbelt.

“Oh, okay,” he says.

“Is everyone ready?” Yeonjun asks.

“Yeah,” Jisoo and Taehyun reply in unison.

Yeonjun nods, and he shifts the gear to drive. The three talk on the way to the mall, and Yeonjun parks in an empty parking spot once they get there. The three get out and start their shopping spree. Jisoo pays for everything Taehyun gets of course, even though he doesn’t want her to, but he doesn’t have his own money, so it’s not like he has another choice. The three continue shopping until 12:04, which is when they decide to get lunch.

“What do you guys want to eat?” Yeonjun asks as they walk into the food center.

“I’m craving some Taiwanese food right now,” Jisoo mutters.

“Me, too,” Taehyun agrees. He looks around the center until he notices a Taiwanese restaurant nearby. “Hey, there’s a place right there. You guys go, though. I need to use the bathroom first.”

Jisoo and Yeonjun nod and Taehyun hands his bags to Yeonjun. The blue-haired male grabs them, and Taehyun turns to head to the nearest bathroom. Jisoo and Yeonjun walk toward the Taiwanese restaurant, and Yeonjun looks at Jisoo, immediately noticing the diamond ring on her left ring finger. A small smirk grows on Yeonjun’s face as he remembers what he and Soobin found out about the other day.

“Hey, noona?” he says, to get Jisoo’s attention.

Jisoo gives it to him. “Yeah?”

“You and Beomgyu love each other, right?” 

“Yeah…?” Jisoo looks at Yeonjun confused. “I thought you knew that already, Yeonjun.”

“I do,” he says. “Say, did Beomgyu ever promise you he’d never cheat on you?”

“We _both_ promised that,” Jisoo says, wondering where Yeonjun is going with this. “Yeonjun, are you trying to say something?”

Yeonjun shrugs. “No. Just the fact that Beomgyu is cheating on you. With Taehyun.”

If Jisoo was eating or drinking something, she would’ve definitely choked on it, or spit it out. She drops the bags she’s holding instead, and looks at Yeonjun in surprise, her heart dropping to her stomach.

“W-what?”

“Oh, you didn’t know?” 

“N-no.”

“Silly,” Yeonjun giggles. “Beomgyu and Taehyun have been cheating on you with each other ever since we left for Singapore.”

“Th-that was eight months ago.” 

“Crazy, right?” 

“H-how do I know you’re not lying?” Jisoo demands.

“Have I ever lied to you?” Yeonjun asks, raising an eyebrow.

“N-no,” Jisoo mutters.

“Then why would I lie about this?” Yeonjun says pointedly. “Beomgyu and Taehyun have been sleeping, kissing, and ‘dating’ behind your back. Why do you think Taehyun was always with Beomgyu in his or your guys' bedroom?”

“Th-they told me they were cleaning the room,” Jisoo says.

Yeonjun scoffs. “I don’t think ‘having sex’ and ‘cleaning the room’ is the same thing.”

“W-why would they do this?” Jisoo frowns, tears springing into her eyes.

Yeonjun shrugs. “I ask myself that question, too. Beomgyu says he’d do anything for you since he loves you too much but then goes to cheat on you with Taehyun. Men, am I right?”

“I-I want to go,” Jisoo announces, feeling her heart starting to beat rapidly. “I-I don’t want to be here anymore.”

“As you wish, noona,” Yeonjun says smugly. “Do you want to leave that slut behind?”

Jisoo shakes her head. “N-no. W-we have to take him with us.”

Yeonjun sighs, rolling his eyes. “As you wish.”


	22. Fake

When Taehyun is washing his hands, he hears his phone starting to ring. He quickly turns off the water, dries his hands on his pants, before taking his phone out of his pocket. He takes it out and checks the caller ID: Yeonjun.

“Hello?” Taehyun says once he answers the call.

“Hey, Tae,” Yeonjun greets. “Are you almost done?”

“I’m just washing my hands,” Taehyun replies, continuing to do so. “Why?”

“Oh, because noona and I are waiting for you outside the mall,” Yeonjun informs.

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen as he dries his hands. “Really? Did you guys get Taiwanese at least?”

“No,” Yeonjun answers. “Noona isn’t feeling too well, so she wants to go home.” Technically, Yeonjun isn’t lying there.

“Oh, okay,” Taehyun says, walking out of the bathroom. “I’ll be there soon.”

“M’kay,” Yeonjun says before he hangs up.

Taehyun sighs, putting his phone away. As he walks toward the exit of the mall, he notices that a few people are staring at him. Sure, he noticed it before, but he was with Jisoo and Yeonjun, so he didn’t care about the attention. But now that Taehyun is alone, he _does_ care about the attention, which makes him feel insecure. Fortunately, he sees the exit a few feet away and starts walking faster when he suddenly hears a whistle behind him. Taehyun ignores it, though, thinking it’s just someone whistling to a song or something.

That is until he hears, “Wow, baby, you look _hot.”_

Taehyun’s heart drops. Sure, he’s heard other people being catcalled before, but he never thought he _himself_ would. However, just to make sure, Taehyun slowly turns around to see if someone was talking to him, or someone else. Sure enough, when he turns around, there are around five males around eighteen to twenty behind him.

“U-uh, can I help you guys?” he offers, nervously.

“Yeah,” one of them replies. “I seem to be lost. I can’t find your number on my phone.”

Taehyun chuckles nervously. “F-funny. I-I don’t have a phone.”

“We can see it in your pocket, sweetheart,” another states.

“I-it doesn’t work,” Taehyun tries.

“Do you think we’re stupid or something?” the third snaps.

 _Yes._ “U-uh, sorry, but I have to leave-”

“Hey, hey, sorry about my idiotic friends,” the fourth says softly. He walks calmly toward Taehyun and wraps his arms around the brown-haired male’s slim waist. “What if you come with us, and we can show you how to have a great time?”

Taehyun internally gags. He sets a fake smile on his face. “Th-thanks, but I have a boyfriend.”

“Where?” the fifth asks, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t see him anywhere.”

Before Taehyun can come up with _another_ lie, he feels a light arm wrapping itself around his shoulder, pulling him softly to the owner of the arm. “I’m right here. Sorry, I was in the bathroom.”

Taehyun looks up, seeing a _handsome_ raven-haired male who’s taller than Taehyun by two inches. 

The first guy scoffs. “You’re barely fifteen.”

“I’m seventeen, actually,” the ravenette corrects. “My boyfriend and I both are, so if you guys don’t leave us alone, we can charge you for sexual assaults on minors. Do you guys want that on your permanent record?”

“Pfft, whatever,” the second scoffs. “Come on, guys, let’s go.”

The five immature ‘adults’ glare at Taehyun and the mysterious guy next to him as they start walking away. Once they’re out of sight and earshot, Taehyun sighs in relief, almost falling to the floor.

“Hey, you okay?” the ravenette asks, a small frown on his face.

Taehyun nods. “Th-thank you.”

“Of course,” the ravenette says. “I’m sorry those guys treated you like that.”

“I-it’s okay,” Taehyun says with a small smile. “It’s not your fault.”

The ravenette nods, helping Taehyun get up. “So, you good? They didn’t harm you, right?”

“I-I’m fine,” Taehyun assures. “I-if you don’t mind me asking, what’s your name?”

“Kai Kamal Huening,” he replies with a grin, extending his hand out for Taehyun to shake.

Taehyun does, surprised. “Kai Kamal Huening? I swear I’ve heard that name before…”

“Must be a coincidence,” he chuckles. “You can call me Hueningkai or Kai for short.”

Taehyun nods. “M-my name’s Kang Taehyun.”

“Nice to meet you, Taehyun,” Hueningkai says. “If you don’t mind, I have to leave now. Stay safe.”

“Y-you, too,” Taehyun returns as he and Kai bow to each other. “Th-thanks again.” Hueningkai nods, and he waves to Taehyun before he leaves. Taehyun stares after Kai in confusion, before remembering Jisoo and Yeonjun. Taehyun curses under his breath, and runs out of the mall, fortunately seeing the two sitting on the bench. What’s weird, though, is that Jisoo looks dejected, and Taehyun can slightly see the tears marks on her cheeks. “I-I’m here. Sorry for taking so long.”

Yeonjun looks up from his phone. “About time you arrive, Kang.”

“Heh, sorry,” he apologizes. Taehyun looks at Jisoo. “You okay, noona?”

Jisoo doesn’t even look at Taehyun, wiping under her eyes as she sniffles. “I’m fine. Let’s leave now.”

“Aite,” Yeonjun says, getting up.

Taehyun grabs his bags from Yeonjun, and the three of them walk toward the blue-haired male’s car. They get in, and Yeonjun and Taehyun sit in the front, whilst Jisoo sits in the back. As Taehyun buckles himself in, he hears Jisoo softly sniffling in the back and glances at her through the rearview mirror. His heart breaks when he notices that she’s crying silently, trying to hold back her tears. Taehyun wants to ask her what’s wrong, but Jisoo made it obvious she won’t respond, so Taehyun stays quiet.

\--

“Thanks for taking us shopping, hyung,” he says as he and Jisoo get out of Yeonjun’s car.

“Of course,” he says. “Stay safe, you two. And noona, don’t forget about what I told you.”

Jisoo nods. “Bye, Yeonjun.”

“Bye, hyung,” Taehyun adds.

“Bye, guys,” Yeonjun returns. He shifts the gear of his car to drive before he soon disappears from the other Chois’ driveway. 

Jisoo doesn’t say a word to Taehyun as she walks up the stairs to arrive at the front doors. Taehyun sighs and follows behind Jisoo. They both step inside the mansion, seeing the twins in the living room with frowns on their faces. Both Jisoo and Taehyun get concerned, Taehyun closing the door behind them.

“Angels, what’s wrong?” Jisoo asks, immediately heading toward them after placing her bags down.

“G-grandma and g-grandpa yelled at us,” Yoonah quietly explains, sniffling.

“W-why would they yell at us, momma?” Yeona adds.

“Did daddy’s parents come over?” Jisoo asks, just in case her parents came over instead.

Yoonah nods. “Th-they were mean.”

Jisoo sighs. “I’m sorry this happened, angels.”

“Twins, where’s your daddy?” Taehyun questions.

“U-upstairs,” Yeona mutters as she digs her face in Jisoo’s chest.

Taehyun nods, and he places his bags down. He starts walking up the stairs and starts hearing voices when he’s barely halfway done climbing the stairs. Once he reaches the top, he can hear the voices clearer, and they’re coming from Beomgyu’s office. Taehyun quietly walks there, and stands outside the door, hearing the Chois yelling at each other, mainly Beomgyu and his mom yelling at each other.

_“If you could’ve just kept your dick in your pants, we wouldn’t be in this situation!”_

_“I’m sorry, okay? What Taehyun and I do is a mistake, but we both love each other! If you can’t accept that fact, mom, then that’s not my fucking problem!”_

_“I can’t accept it because you’re already married! A good husband never cheats on his wife!”_

_“And a good wife never cheats on her husband, but Jisoo did, mom!”_

That makes everything silent. Even Taehyun’s eyes are wide, not being able to believe the words that just came out of Beomgyu’s mouth.

_“W-what?”_

_“Beomgyu, what do you mean Jisoo’s cheating, too?”_

_“The other day, I went to buy myself food, and when I entered, I saw Jisoo and Rosé sitting in the back. At first, I didn’t believe it was Jisoo and Rosé, because they had both dyed their hair, but when I looked closer, I recognized them. Rosé had her hand basically inside Jisoo’s vagina, and Jisoo didn’t seem to have a problem with it. You get mad at me for being with Taehyun, but at least I don’t show it to everyone in the public.”_

_“Well, maybe she already knows of yours and that slut’s affair!”_

_“Don’t you_ dare _call him that, Eunji!”_

Everyone and everything gets silent again. Beomgyu has just called his mom by his real name, and it seems as if no one can believe that.

_“Yah, don’t call your mother by her real name! Show some respect!”_

_“I can if I want to! You’re disrespecting me by cursing out the real love of my life. You two are getting mad at Taehyun and I when you guys cheated on each other as well! Don’t act so innocent, because I’ve known for a while about your guys’ affair. If I’m a bad husband, where do you think I got it from? From you, dad? Or from you, mom? Or did I get it from the both of you?”_

The sound of a loud and painful slap resonates in the air, which makes everything and everyone silent again.

_“Eunji!”_

_“I can’t believe I have a son like you. If I knew you were going to do this, I would’ve aborted you when I was pregnant with you, Beomgyu.”_

_“Why didn’t you? Were you afraid that you’d be a bad mom? Well, guess what, mother? You are.”_

_“You’re a dishonor to our family, Beomgyu.”_

_“If I’m a ‘dishonor’, then get the fuck out of my house.”_

_“I hope you’re proud of yourself.”_

Before Taehyun can even digest the fact that Beomgyu’s parents are coming out of Beomgyu’s office, and hide in a room or something, the two are already walking outside, surprised to see Taehyun. But they both just glare at him, before walking down the stairs. Taehyun doesn’t hear the twins’ or Jisoo’s voice, so he assumes they’re gone already since Beomgyu’s parents don’t say anything to them. Taehyun checks the living room just in case, and indeed Jisoo and the twins aren’t there. Taehyun sighs, and he turns to check on Beomgyu.

Taehyun softly knocks on the door of the older’s office. “Gyu?”

At Taehyun’s voice, the male looks up, surprised to see Taehyun there. “Tyun? What are you doing here?”

“N-noona didn’t feel so well, so Yeonjun-hyung took us home,” he explains. “You okay?”

Beomgyu sighs. “You heard everything, didn’t you?”

Taehyun slowly nods. “Y-yeah.”

Beomgyu nods this time. He starts to feel light-headed, so he sits down on the chair behind his desk. Taehyun just stares at Beomgyu and is slightly surprised when the older lets out a quiet sob. Taehyun’s heart drops, and he feels himself wanting to cry as well. But he fights back the urge. Beomgyu doesn’t need to hear Taehyun crying. What he needs right now is comfort, and Taehyun is willing to give it to him. Taehyun walks over toward Beomgyu, and climbs on his lap, straddling him. Beomgyu immediately leans his head against Taehyun’s chest and wraps his arms around Taehyun’s small waist. All Taehyun does is stroke Beomgyu’s hair as Beomgyu cries on his chest. 

\--

The next day, January second, Beomgyu spends all day in bed. Jisoo had left a note on the kitchen counter earlier that morning, saying that she already left for her flight. Taehyun sighs. He never did get the chance to ask Jisoo why she was so depressed yesterday, but he makes a mental note to himself to ask her about it later. Throughout the whole day, Taehyun takes care of three depressing people: Beomgyu and the twins. Beomgyu is still depressed about the conversation he had with his parents yesterday, and the twins are still depressed because their grandparents yelled at them. Taehyun seems to be the only one in a good mood, and besides making food for all four of them, he spends it in bed cuddling with the other three on Beomgyu’s bed.

On January third, which is the next day, Taehyun wakes up in Beomgyu’s bed. All four of them are together since the twins and Beomgyu didn’t want Taehyun to go to his own room. But once Taehyun wakes up, he doesn’t even have time to look at what time it is, since he has the sudden urge to throw up. He doesn’t pay attention to how he pushes Beomgyu’s arm away from him as he quickly runs to the bathroom. He throws the toilet seat up and throws up inside the bowl. He throws up for a long minute, eventually feeling a soft hand rubbing his back until he stops.

It’s Beomgyu was rubbing Taehyun’s back. “You okay now, Tyun?” 

The brunette nods, slightly panting. “M-mhm.”

“You sure?” Beomgyu asks.

Taehyun looks up at Beomgyu. “Y-yeah.”

The silver-haired male can see the slight tiredness in Taehyun’s eyes, and the bags under his eyes. Beomgyu knows Taehyun will keep saying yes if Beomgyu keeps him asking if he’s okay, so Beomgyu leans to clean the toilet seat, and flush the toilet. Taehyun is leaning back against the tub, looking a bit worn out.

“You want to continue sleeping, Tae?” Beomgyu offers. He looks down at his wristwatch, checking the time; three-eighteen in the morning. 

Taehyun nods. “M-mhm.”

“Let’s get you up, then,” Beomgyu mutters. He knows Taehyun doesn’t want to walk, so Beomgyu picks Taehyun up, letting Taehyun lazily wrap his legs around his waist, and arms around his neck. Beomgyu places his hands underneath Taehyun’s thighs and carries him back to the bed. Fortunately, the twins are still asleep, so Beomgyu places Taehyun down next to them. Taehyun lets out a soft moan, and Beomgyu climbs onto the bed next to him. Beomgyu wraps his arms around the younger’s tiny waist, pulling him closer. “Goodnight, Tyun.”

The brunette softly hums. “G-goodnight, Gyu.”

\--

When the four wake up hours later, and they finish eating breakfast, Beomgyu places the dishes in the sink. The twins go to the living room to play or watch the TV, and Beomgyu stays behind with Taehyun.

“You okay now, Tyun?” Beomgyu questions.

“I’ve been better,” Taehyun replies with a faint smile.

“Do you want to see the doctor?” Beomgyu says. “I can tell Sunmi-noona to come over.”

Taehyun shakes his head. “N-no. I’m sure I’m fine. I-it’s probably some food poisoning or something.”

“Are you sure?” Beomgyu asks.

Taehyun nods. “I’m sure, Gyu. It’ll probably go away tomorrow.”

\--

The vomiting does _not_ go away tomorrow. Once Taehyun wakes up, he immediately heads to the bathroom to throw up. For the whole week, the cycle continues. Not only does Taehyun have morning sickness, but he also feels light-headed, dizzy, hungry, and moody all the time. Additionally, he has to go pee every five minutes, which is unusual. Finally, when Beomgyu goes back to work on Friday, and the twins are sleeping, Taehyun is in the living room, staring at Sunmi’s number he has on his phone.

 _Fuck it_ , he finally decides. _She’ll either says yes or no, and we’ll be quick. We’ll be done before Beomgyu comes home._

Taking a deep breath, Taehyun finally presses the call button, and the line starts ringing. A few seconds later, Sunmi answers. “Hello?”

“H-hi, noona,” Taehyun greets, a bit nervously.

“Ah, Taehyun, is it?” 

“Y-yeah.” 

“Hi, then, Taehyun,” Sunmi returns. “Why did you call?”

“U-um, are you free right now?” Taehyun questions.

“Like, now, _now_ , or?”

“Now, _now,”_ Taehyun replies. “Are you?”

“Uh, hold on a sec,” Sunmi says. Taehyun just nods, even though Sunmi can’t see it. “Yes, I am. But why do you want to see me at eight-sixteen in the night?”

“B-Beomgyu’s working, and I want to do this without him here,” Taehyun explains. 

“Oh, okay,” Sunmi says. “What’s wrong?”

Taehyun gulps, fiddling with a loose thread on his pants. “I-I…I think I might be…pregnant.”

Sunmi’s eyes widen. “P-pregnant?”

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun mutters.

“W-why do you think that, Taehyun?” Sunmi asks. “Did you have sex with anyone in the past two weeks?”

“Y-yeah,” Taehyun admits. He and Beomgyu basically had sex every day that was the ‘Christmas week’, which was the twentieth, twenty-first, twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth— _especially_ on the twenty-fifth—and the twenty-sixth. “I-I’ve been having morning sickness, nausea, weird food cravings, dizziness, and I’ve been having to go pee every five minutes. Th-those are the pregnancy symptoms, right?”

“Yeah,” Sunmi confirms. “For how long has this been happening?”

“Th-the whole week,” Taehyun replies.

“Okay,” Sunmi says. “I’ll be there soon, Taehyun.”

“Th-thanks, noona,” he says.

“Of course,” Sunmi says before she hangs up.

Taehyun sighs, and he shakily places his phone down. He chews on his bottom lip as he gets up to pace around his room. As he paces, he subconsciously places his hand on his still flat stomach, not being able to believe there can possibly be a _baby_ starting to barely form itself inside his stomach. Fortunately, Taehyun hears the doorbell ring ten minutes later, indicating Sunmi’s arrival. Taehyun walks down the stairs and opens the door, indeed seeing Sunmi outside.

“H-hi,” Taehyun greets as he lets Sunmi inside.

“Hey,” she returns, pushing a sonograph machine in with her. “Do you want to do it in the living room?”

“O-okay.” 

Sunmi nods, and she and Taehyun walk toward the living room. Taehyun lays down on the couch, and Sunmi brings a chair over, sitting down on it as she gets the machine ready. She takes out a bottle and pulls on gloves. She coats her fingers with a gel-like material from the bottle and smiles apologetically at Taehyun.

“This is going to be a bit cold,” she warns. “Can you pull your shirt up, please?”

Taehyun nods, and he pulls up his shirt, revealing his tan, slightly toned stomach. Sunmi lathers the gel over the skin, and Taehyun flinches since the gel _is_ cold. Sunmi smiles apologetically, and she grabs a control from the machine, hovering it above Taehyun’s stomach. She turns the machine on, and Taehyun can see a black and white screen.

“I-is that my stomach?” he asks, a bit surprised.

“That’s the inside of your uterus,” Sunmi corrects.

Taehyun’s eyes slightly widen. “I-I have a uterus?”

“Yes, silly,” Sunmi giggles. “If you didn’t, then I’d be concerned as to why you’re having all these pregnancy symptoms.”

Taehyun nods, and he looks at the computer screen. Sunmi scans over the screen for a while, until she finds what she’s looking for. A small smile forms on her face, and she zooms the screen in. Taehyun is confused as to what Sunmi found that has her smiling and looks at her in confusion.

“D-did you find anything?” he nervously questions.

“I did, actually,” Sunmi replies. She points to a gray small blob. “You see that blob, Taehyun?”

“Yeah,” he says, still confused.

“That’s a baby. Congrats, Taehyun, you’re pregnant!”


	23. Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my dumbass forgot abt tyun’s parents, so let’s just say they left, and tyun didn’t get to say goodbye to them

_“Congrats, Taehyun, you’re pregnant!”_

Once those words come out of Sunmi’s mouth, it feels as if Taehyun’s world comes tumbling down. Taehyun looks between Sunmi and the computer screen, still not being able to believe that he’s _pregnant_. Not only that, but the baby Taehyun is now carrying inside his stomach is _Beomgyu’s_ baby. To make matters worse, Beomgyu is already married and has children of his own. 

“I-I’m pregnant?” Taehyun repeats, in case he heard Sunmi wrong.

Sunmi nods. “Yeah. It seems as if you’re eight days along.”

“I’ve been carrying a baby inside of me for _eight_ days?” Taehyun says in disbelief.

“Mhm,” Sunmi confirms. “Congrats, Taehyun.”

“No,” he says. “This isn’t a good thing, noona. I-I’m barely seventeen. H-how am I going to take care of a baby by myself?”

“Who’s the father?” Sunmi asks.

Taehyun looks at Sunmi. “I-I can’t answer that.”

“Beomgyu?” she guesses.

Taehyun’s eyes widen. “H-how did you-”

Sunmi shrugs. “I’ve known Beomgyu ever since my medical career started, which was ten years ago. I know he loves Jisoo, but I’ve never seen him look at Jisoo the way he looks at you. It’s cute, but I just advise you to be careful, Taehyun.”

“Th-that’s the thing,” he says. “How am I going to explain myself to everybody when they ask how I got pregnant? What do they say when they ask who’s the father? W-what’s Beomgyu going to say? What is _Jisoo-noona_ going to say? I’m screwed, noona.”

“Everything will be okay, Taehyun,” Sunmi consoles. “Does Beomgyu know I’m here?”

Taehyun shakes his head. “I-I didn’t want him to. I-I thought the whole pregnancy thing was just my imagination, so I wanted a real doctor to confirm it. B-but now…”

“You _are_ pregnant, so you have to tell Beomgyu,” Sunmi finishes.

Taehyun nods. “W-will my baby be a slave, too, noona?”

“That’s hard to say,” she replies. “Since the baby’s mom is poor, no offense, and its dad is rich, there isn’t a long term answer.”

“W-why?” Taehyun asks.

“Well, if Beomgyu doesn’t want the baby, and kicks you out, the baby will be a slave like you,” Sunmi explains. “But if Beomgyu _does_ want the baby, it won’t be a slave. However, since we don’t know Beomgyu’s answer yet, there’s no say as to whether if the baby will be a slave or not.”

Taehyun nods. “W-what do you think Beomgyu will say?”

“He’ll want the baby,” Sunmi answers with a smile. “In the ten years I’ve known him, I know he’s good at taking care of his responsibilities. And now that you’re pregnant with his child, you’re his responsibility, so he’ll take care of you two.”

“A-are you sure?” Taehyun questions.

Sunmi nods. “Positive.” Taehyun nods this time, and Sunmi cleans the gel off his stomach. Taehyun pulls his shirt down and sits up. Sunmi starts packing up her equipment, and when she’s done, she turns to Taehyun. “Is that all you need, Taehyun?”

“Yeah,” he replies. “Thanks for your help, noona.”

“Of course,” Sunmi says. “Oh, and before I forget, do you want a picture of the ultrasound?”

Taehyun immediately nods with no hesitation. “Please.”

“Okay,” Sunmi says. She clicks and types a few things on her computer, before the printer prints something out. Sunmi grabs the photo and hands it to Taehyun. “Good luck, Taehyun.”

“Thanks, noona,” he says. “Drive safely.”

“I will,” Sunmi assures.

Taehyun accompanies her to the door, and the two say bye to each other once more, before Sunmi leaves. Taehyun closes the door behind her and looks down at the photo in his hands. It isn’t quite noticeable, but Taehyun can see the gray blob Sunmi pointed to earlier. A small smile grows on Taehyun’s face, knowing the gray blob is _his_ and _Beomgyu’s_ child. 

Taehyun sighs, and he places his hand on his stall flat tummy, looking down at it. “Even if your daddy doesn’t want you, little one, I do, and I promise I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.”

\--

Despite knowing he’s now pregnant with Beomgyu’s child, Taehyun doesn’t tell Beomgyu the sort of exciting news. Sure, Taehyun keeps telling himself he should, but he always chickens out when he gets the chance to. He was so close to just spitting it out the other day, but then Beomgyu’s phone rang, and he paid attention to the call instead of Taehyun. 

Now it’s been two weeks since the brown-haired male found out about his pregnancy, and of course, no one knows about it except him. Taehyun sometimes thinks about telling the twins, before deciding not to, because they’re known for spilling everyone's secrets. If Taehyun does tell them, it wouldn’t be long before they told Beomgyu. Taehyun just hopes the twins would be happy to learn they’re getting a new sibling, even if they’re not fully related.

Besides the stressful symptoms of the pregnancy Taehyun has to go through each day, the days continue like normal. Everyone does what they usually do, and Jisoo continues being on her business trip. Everything continues as normal until one fateful day. Taehyun is sweeping the dining room floor, whilst the twins help him ‘clean’ the table. The three are just in silence, humming along to the song that is playing on TV. That is until Taehyun hears the home phone ringing, and the three of them jump.

Taehyun and the twins giggle as Taehyun places the broom down. He heads over toward the phone and checks the caller ID to see who’s calling them: Yeonjun. Surprised, Taehyun answers the call. “Hello?”

“Hi, Tae!” Yeonjun greets excitedly.

“Hi, hyung,” Taehyun returns with a small smile. “Why’d you call?”

“Can’t I call my besties?” Yeonjun asks in fake hurt.

“I guess,” Taehyun giggles.

Yeonjun giggles along. “I was just wondering if you and the twins would like to come over. I know Beom’s at work, and unfortunately, Soobin is as well, which leaves Byeol and I alone. We haven’t seen each other ever since we went shopping with noona, so I thought it’d be great to see each other again. What do you think, Tae?”

“Uh, sure,” he agrees. “What time?”

“Whatever time’s good for you guys,” Yeonjun replies. “Right now is a good time, though.”

Taehyun chuckles. “Okay, I'll talk with Beomgyu first, but I think he'll say yes. We’ll be over there soon.”

“Yay,” Yeonjun squeals. “See you here, then, Tae.”

“See you, hyung,” he says, before he and Yeonjun end their call.

“Who was that, Taehyun-ah?” Yoonah asks.

“That was Yeonjun-Oppa,” he answers. 

“Ooh, what’d he say?” Yeona says, intrigued.

“He was wondering if we’d like to come over,” Taehyun says.

Yoonah’s eyes light up. “Ooh, can we, Taehyun-ah? Pretty please?”

“I have to see if your daddy will let us,” he reminds. 

“Aww,” Yeona whines.

“I’m sure he’ll say yes, twins,” Taehyun assures. He grabs the phone again and dials Beomgyu’s work number. 

A few seconds later, the line picks up, but it’s a woman’s voice that replies: “Th-this is Choi Beomgyu’s office.”

To Taehyun’s surprise, the woman sounds as if she’s out of breath or panting. If Taehyun didn’t know better, he’d say the woman is just tired. But he _does_ know better, and he can tell those are the sounds that a woman makes when she’s being pleasured.

“Who is this?” he demands, trying to swallow down the fear that Beomgyu might be cheating on him.

“Th-this is Mr. Choi’s secretary,” she replies. “S-sorry if I sound out of breath. I-I’m running late for a meeting.”

“Is Mr. Choi going to be in a meeting?” Taehyun asks.

“Yes,” the secretary says. “Who is this?”

“I’m Kang Taehyun,” he introduces himself. “May I speak with him?”

“Sure, but make it quick, Mr. Kang,” the secretary says. Taehyun nods, even though she can’t see it. He hears her saying some words before the phone is transferred to someone. Luckily, it’s transferred to Beomgyu.

“This is Choi Beomgyu speaking.” 

“Hey, Gyu,” Taehyun greets.

“Taehyun?” Beomgyu sounds confused but mostly surprised. Taehyun rarely calls him whilst he’s at work. “Why are you calling? Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” Taehyun assures. “I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Oh, okay,” Beomgyu says, relieved. “What is it?”

“Um, Yeonjun-hyung just called and asked if the twins and I could come over to their house,” Taehyun explains. “Can we?”

Beomgyu sighs. “I don’t really want you guys to go over there.”

“Why?” Taehyun asks.

“I don’t have time to explain right now,” Beomgyu reminds. “But if you want, you guys can go. Just be careful around them.”

Taehyun wants to ask why again but then remembers Beomgyu doesn’t have time to explain. “O-okay. Thanks, Gyu.”

“Yeah, of course,” he says. “Bye now, Tyun.”

“Bye,” he returns. 

“What did daddy say?” Yoonah eagerly questions.

“Um…” Taehyun thinks back to Beomgyu’s words, which were that he doesn’t want them over at Soobin’s and Yeonjun’s house. Taehyun doesn’t know why, but knowing Beomgyu, he probably has a good reason for it. However, Taehyun can see how excited the twins are to go to their best friend’s house, so he doesn’t want to let them down. Taehyun shoves Beomgyu’s weird response to the back of his head, deciding to think about it later. “He said yeah.”

“Yay!” the twins squeal.

“Let’s go, then, Taehyun-ah!” Yeona says.

“Twins, you two are still in your pajamas,” Taehyun reminds. Even though it’s nearing six in the evening, the twins didn’t bother to change all day.

“Do we have to change?” Yoonah groans.

“Yes,” Taehyun chuckles. “Come on, let’s go get changed, you two.”

\--

Ten minutes later, Taehyun and the twins are getting inside the Beomgyu’s driver’s car. Taehyun would drive them to Yeonjun’s house, but he doesn’t know how to drive and doesn’t have a car, either. Taehyun tells the driver to take them to Yeonjun’s house, and the driver nods, starting to drive them there. Around twenty minutes later, they arrive, and Taehyun isn’t that surprised to see that the other Chois’ house is a mansion as well. Theirs isn’t as big as Beomgyu’s, but it’s certainly big enough to consider them rich.

“We’re here, Kang.02,” the driver says. “You said your master allowed you guys to be here, right?”

“Yes,” Taehyun repeats for the nth time. “If you don’t believe me, you can call him.”

“It’s fine,” the driver says, knowing he’ll get in trouble if Beomgyu knew he’s been doubting Taehyun. “Have fun, Kang.02, Yoonah, and Yeona.”

“Thanks,” he says before he and the twins get out of the car.

The driver drives away, and Taehyun and the twins walk toward the front doors. Soobin’s and Yeonjun’s mansion doesn’t have a gate around their place like Beomgyu’s and Jisoo’s does, so it’s easy to get inside their property. Once they arrive at the front doors, Yoonah and Yeona are quick to ring the doorbell together. Not even a second later, though, the door opens, revealing Yeonjun. Taehyun is surprised at how quickly the older opened the door for them but shoves the thought to the back of his head.

“Hi, everyone,” Yeonjun greets.

“Oppa!” the twins say in unison, hugging his legs.

Yeonjun smiles down at them. “Hi, twins.”

“Is Byeol here?” Yoonah asks as she and Yeona pull away.

“Mhm,” Yeonjun replies. He slightly turns around, and points to the direction one of the rooms is in. “She’s in the living room.”

“Thanks, Oppa!” the twins say in unison before they run past Yeonjun to the living room.

“Sorry about them,” Taehyun chuckles. “I think I gave them too much candy earlier.”

“Ah, it’s okay,” Yeonjun assures as he and Taehyun hug each other. “I’m dealing with a hyper daughter as well.”

Taehyun lets out a small laugh as he steps inside the Chois’ mansion. Yeonjun closes the door behind him, and Taehyun slightly looks around in awe.

“Wow, hyung,” he says. “You and Soobin-hyung have a nice house.”

“Thanks,” Yeonjun says. He leads Taehyun to the kitchen as they pass by the girls in the living room. “Have you guys eaten yet?”

“Yeah,” he replies. “We were just cleaning the dining room when you called us.”

“Ah, okay,” Yeonjun says. “Do you want a snack or glass of water, at least?”

“Do you have something sweet?” Taehyun asks. “I’ve been craving that for the last five minutes.”

“That’s a mood,” Yeonjun mutters, which makes him and Taehyun laugh. Yeonjun looks through his pantry before he takes out caramel flavored popcorn. “Is this good enough?”

“Oh my god, yes,” Taehyun replies, snatching the bag out of Yeonjun’s hands. Taehyun eagerly opens the bag, and stuffs a handful in his mouth, moaning at the taste. “Oh my god, that is so good. I’m going to get Beom to bring me at least ten bags of these when he comes home.”

Yeonjun lets out a laugh. “How’s everything going between you and Beom, by the way?”

“Fine,” Taehyun says. “How about you and Soobin?”

“Fine as well,” Yeonjun says. Taehyun nods, and he continues stuffing caramel popcorn in his mouth. Yeonjun takes the distraction to look Taehyun up and down, noticing a slight change in him. A _glow_ , even. If Yeonjun didn’t know better, he’d say Taehyun was just losing weight, but Yeonjun _does_ know better. He’s definitely gone through this phase as well. “Hey, Tae?”

The brunette looks at Yeonjun. “Yeah?”

“How long have you been having these cravings for?” he questions.

Taehyun is about to open his mouth to reply but decides not to. He remembers Yeonjun has been pregnant before, which was five years ago, but surely he remembers how it felt to be pregnant. Especially what the symptoms are.

“N-not long,” Taehyun mutters.

“Say, do you have morning sickness, Tae?” Yeonjun continues.

“W-why are you asking, hyung?” Taehyun says nervously.

Yeonjun shrugs. “I just want to know.” Taehyun slowly nods. He continues answering Yeonjun’s questions as Yeonjun continues asking them. Eventually, Yeonjun asks Taehyun if he’s been having to go pee a lot, and Taehyun says yes. “You’re pregnant,” he immediately states. “And don’t even try to deny it, Taehyun, because I’ve been pregnant before.”

Taehyun sighs in defeat. “I-I am, hyung.”

“The baby you're carrying is Beomgyu’s, isn’t it?” Yeonjun says excitedly.

“Yeah,” Taehyun replies. He looks at Yeonjun. “Are you mad, hyung?”

“Of course not!” he says. “This is great news, Tae! Does Beom know?”

Taehyun shakes his head. “I’m too scared to tell him.”

“Tell him, Tae,” Yeonjun encourages. “When I found out I was pregnant with Byeol, I was just as nervous as you as to what Soobin would say, but when I finally just spit it out to him, he had an amazing reaction. He accepted Byeol and I and took care of us through my whole nine months of pregnancy. I can assure you, Tae, that Beom will do the same to you.”

“Y-you sure?”

Yeonjun nods. “Positive. So, how long are you?”

“A-around four weeks,” Taehyun answers. He places his hand on his stomach, which is _barely_ starting to grow. “My stomach hasn’t gotten big yet, but it’s starting to.”

“You have to tell Beom, before your bump starts to show,” Yeonjun says pointedly.

“Yeah, I know,” Taehyun sighs. He and the twins continue staying at Soobin’s and Yeonjun’s, even until Soobin comes home two hours later. Soobin, Yeonjun, and Taehyun talk in the kitchen, whilst the girls play in the living room. That is until another two hours later, they all hear the doorbell ring. “Oh, did you invite someone, hyungs?”

“We did, actually,” Soobin replies. “Jun, can you be a dear, and go open the door?”

“Of course, Soobinnie,” he assures as he slides off his chair. Yeonjun walks to the kitchen, where he sees the girls playing. “Girls, can you go upstairs to Byeol’s room? Mommy, daddy, and Taehyun-ah have some important stuff to discuss.”

“Okay, mommy,” Byeol says. She and the twins get up before they run upstairs to Byeol’s room.

A small smirk grows on Yeonjun’s face, and he walks toward the door. He doesn’t even need to look through the peephole since he already knows who’s here. He opens the door and smiles at the female on the other side. “Hi, Eunji. Nice to see you again.”

“Hi, Yeonjun,” she greets, opening her arms for a hug. “Nice to see you again.”

“Likewise, Eunji,” Yeonjun returns as he hugs Eunji back. “Come in.”

“Thanks,” she says. Eunji steps inside Yeonbin’s house, and takes off her coat, hanging it on the coathanger. “Is he here already?”

“Yeah,” Yeonjun answers. “He’s in the kitchen with Soobin.”

Eunji nods, and she follows behind Yeonjun to the kitchen. Once they arrive, they see Soobin and Taehyun talking, but they stop when they notice Eunji, Beomgyu’s mom.

“E-Eunji?” Taehyun says in surprise, his heart starting to beat rapidly. “W-what are you doing here?”

“Jun and I invited her over,” Soobin explains.

“O-oh.”

“Hi, Taehyun,” Eunji says. “Nice to see you again.”

“L-likewise, noona,” Taehyun returns. Now that Eunji is here, he wishes he listened to Beomgyu.

“Now that I remember,” Yeonjun says, “Eunji, did you know Taehyun is pregnant?”

“H-hyung, what are you-”

“And with your son’s child?” Yeonjun continues, ignoring Taehyun.

The brunette’s mouth drops in shock. “N-noona, he’s lying-”

“And that they’ve been sleeping around everyone’s back?” Soobin adds.

“No, I did not know,” Eunji says. She looks at Taehyun. “Taehyun, why would you do that when you know Beomgyu’s already married?”

“I-I-”

“The slut doesn’t even know what to say,” Soobin chuckles. “Cat got your tongue, Tae?”

“His tongue’s definitely been around something,” Yeonjun mutters.

“Why don’t we teach the slut a lesson to not mess with a happily married couple?” Eunji suggests with a deadly sweet smile.

“Okay,” Soobin and Yeonjun happily agree in unison. The other three look at Taehyun and the brunette nervously gulps. His heartbeat starts beating quicker, and he slides off his chair. He looks at the three, before turning to make a run for it. But he feels someone gripping his arm, and bringing him to their chest.

“You’re not going anywhere, Taehyunnie,” Soobin whispers in the youngest’s ear. “We’re going to have some fun with you before we let you go.”


	24. Jinju-si

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’ALL BEOMGYU ISN’T CHEATING ON TYUN, HIS SECRETARY WAS JUST PANTING FROM RUNNING, DON’T WORRY. but hehe, sorry for the confusion 😼

“Thank you, everyone, for coming,” the executive producer says as the time for the meeting to end arrives. “Have a nice night, everyone.”

All the CEOs, workers and other staff members start packing up their stuff. Beomgyu grabs his suitcase, and he and his secretary walk out of the meeting room.

“Mr. Choi, I just got an alert that your assistant will be back next week,” she informs as she sort of struggles to keep up with Beomgyu’s fast pace. 

“Okay, thank you,” he says. “Do I have anything else scheduled for today?” 

“Let me check,” his secretary mutters. She scrolls through the iPad that has the information about Beomgyu’s schedule, before seeing that he doesn’t have anything else to do. “No, Mr. Choi. The meeting was your last thing to do today.”

Beomgyu nods. “Okay. After you pack up your stuff, you can leave, Kim. Thanks for all your help today.”

His secretary nods, bowing. “Thank you, Mr. Choi. Have a nice night.”

“You, too,” he returns, before walking inside his office. Beomgyu sighs, and he walks toward his desk. He sits down on the chair behind it, and grabs his phone, remembering about Taehyun. Beomgyu dials the younger’s number and waits for Taehyun to pick up. Surprisingly, Taehyun doesn’t, even though he _always_ picks up. “What the…”

Beomgyu rings Taehyun again, but Taehyun still doesn’t reply. Beomgyu dials Yeonjun’s number then, remembering that Taehyun and the twins probably went to Yeonjun’s house. It takes a few seconds, but the line picks up.

“Hello?”

“Hi, hyung,” Beomgyu greets. “Are the twins and Taehyun over there with you guys?”

“Yeah,” Yeonjun replies. 

Beomgyu opens his mouth to say something else before he hears what sounds like muffling in the background. He can hear Soobin gritting out some words, and Beomgyu recognizes the muffling voice to belong to Taehyun. “Is everything okay over there, hyung?”

“Everything’s fine, Beom,” Yeonjun says. “We’re just playing a game.”

“Okay,” Beomgyu says, not knowing whether to trust Yeonjun or not. “Why doesn’t Taehyun pick up?”

“His phone died,” Yeonjun lies. 

“Can I speak with him, then?” Beomgyu asks.

“Sorry, but he’s in the bathroom,” Yeonjun says. “Want me to leave a message for him?”

“No, that’s fine,” Beomgyu says. “Bye, then, hyung.”

“Bye, Beomie,” Yeonjun returns before he hangs up.

Beomgyu slightly tenses up at the nickname Yeonjun called him. ‘Beomie’ used to be the nickname Yeonjun called him when he had a crush on him. Yeonjun stopped calling him it when he started dating Soobin, and it’s been more than five years. So why did Yeonjun just call him ‘Beomie’ now?

 _You’re just sleep-deprived, Beomgyu_ , he tells himself, rubbing his temples. _Go home, and get some rest._ Beomgyu decides that’s the best thing to do right now, so he starts packing up all his stuff. He soon leaves his office and doesn’t see his secretary outside. She already left, then, so Beomgyu walks out of his company, and sees his driver outside.

“Hello, sir,” he greets as he opens the door for Beomgyu.

“Hi,” he returns. “Song, did you drop off Taehyun and the twins at Yeonjun’s house?”

“Yes,” Beomgyu’s driver replies. “Was I not supposed to, sir?”

“Yeah, you were supposed to,” Beomgyu says. “I’m just checking.”

His driver nods. “Okay, sir.”

\--

Around thirty minutes later, his driver stops in front of his mansion. Beomgyu sighs, and he thanks his driver as he gets out of the car. Beomgyu unlocks the gates before he starts walking toward the front doors. He unlocks them, and steps inside. The house is empty, obviously, and Beomgyu starts feeling a weird vibe, especially from his gut. He ignores it, though, and takes out his phone to type a message to Taehyun.

 **beomgyu:** **  
**if u don’t see me anywhere downstairs when u and the twins arrive, i’ll b upstairs

 **beomgyu:** **  
**charge ur phone next time too, tyun

Beomgyu sighs, and he places his phone away. He walks up the stairs and decides to take a hot, warm bath to try to relieve the stress in him.

\--

“Did you see that, Taehyun?” Yeonjun says as he turns around to look at the brown-haired male. “Your _boyfriend_ is worried about you.”

Taehyun glares at Yeonjun, wanting to punch his teeth in, but his arms and legs are being held back by Soobin and Eunji. There’s also a blindfold tied around his mouth, so he can’t speak, either.

“Are we done, Yeonjun, or should we do more damage?” Eunji asks.

“I think we did enough damage,” Yeonjun says. He crouches down in front of Taehyun and swipes a brown strand that fell in front of his eyes behind his ear. Taehyun pulls away from Yeonjun, and the older smiles at him. “After all, we did just break his arm, his leg, fractured his ankle, sprained his wrist, and messed his face up pretty good. The only thing that’s not damaged is his tummy, but only because there’s a baby in there.”

“Why don’t we kill it?” Eunji suggests. “More pain for him.”

At Eunji’s suggestion, Taehyun’s eyes widen, and he looks at Yeonjun. Taehyun can see that the blue-haired male is thinking about it, so tears well up in Taehyun’s eyes. They fall out at the bare thought of losing his child.

“Nah,” Yeonjun eventually says. “You and I should know how terrifying it feels like to even _think_ about losing our baby, Eunji, so no. We created enough damage to him, anyway.”

“Is that all, then, Jun?” Soobin asks.

“Yeah,” Yeonjun sighs, getting up. “Get rid of him.”

Soobin nods, and he picks up Taehyun bridal style. Just like Beomgyu used to do when Taehyun’s heel was injured. Taehyun wants to fight Soobin, but he knows he’s in no condition to do so. As Soobin and Taehyun walk away, Eunji looks at Yeonjun.

“What are you going to tell the twins when they ask about him?” she questions.

“That he left already,” Yeonjun replies, shrugging. “He and Beom decided to let them sleepover, so he left to go back to Beomgyu.”

“And what are you going to tell Beomgyu when he asks about Taehyun?” 

“That he stayed over.”

“What about the day after tomorrow?” Eunji continues. “Beomgyu’s smarter than this, Yeonjun. He’s going to find out about something's wrong sooner or later.”

“We’ll be gone by then,” Yeonjun says. “Jisoo-noona won’t have to worry about Taehyun anymore, and hers and Beomgyu’s marriage will return to normal.”

“So, you’re doing all this for Jisoo? Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious? She’s my best friend, and I’d do anything for her.”

-

“P-please, hyung, don’t do this,” Taehyun weakly pleads as Soobin places him down on the car seat.

“Shut up, slut,” Soobin snaps.

Taehyun doesn’t. “W-why are you doing this? W-what did I ever do?”

Soobin sighs. “What do you think, Taehyun? You’re sleeping with Beomgyu, and now you’re pregnant with his child. Jisoo and Beomgyu are meant to be, not you and him. Jisoo and Beom deserve to be happy, and you’re just a burden. We’re doing noona and Beom a favor by getting rid of you.”

“H-hyung, please don’t-”

“Shut up, or I’ll call headquarters,” Soobin threatens. “They’ll treat you worse than we did, and they’ll turn your baby into a slave. So, unless you want that happen, you better shut up, Kang.”

All Taehyun can do then is nod as he bites his bottom lip. Soobin slams the door close, and Taehyun lets out a sob. His tears start falling again, and he clenches his fist. He lets out a whimper but quietens down when Soobin gets inside the car.

\--

The next day, Beomgyu isn’t surprised when he feels a space next to him as he wakes up. Jisoo isn’t back, and he and Taehyun usually don’t sleep together when the twins are here. Beomgyu lets out a groan as he sits up. He looks up at the clock to see what time it is, and it’s barely turning eight a.m. Beomgyu sighs, and he gets up. He walks to the bathroom, gets out a few minutes later, and decides to start getting ready for work. As he rummages through his closet, that’s when it hits him.

There’s no noise outside.

There’s no laughter outside.

Beomgyu can’t hear any voices from any other rooms or downstairs.

He doesn’t hear the TV playing downstairs.

_Is…the house empty for once?_

Beomgyu walks out of his room and checks the hallway. “Tae?”

Beomgyu receives no response, so he checks Taehyun’s room. Indeed, Taehyun isn’t there, so Beomgyu checks the twins’ room. They aren’t there, either, so Beomgyu checks downstairs. No one is down there, either.

_Where is everybody?_

Beomgyu walks back to his room and grabs his phone from the nightstand. As he turns it on, he notices the messages Yeonjun sent him, which were sent barely an hour ago.

 **yeonjun:** **  
**hi beom

 **yeonjun:  
** srry if i woke u up

 **yeonjun:** **  
**just wanted to say that tae and the twins stayed over last night

 **yeonjun:** **  
**they’re here w soobin, byeol, and i are so dw

Beomgyu sighs, and shakes his head as he unlocks his phone to text Yeonjun back.

 **beomgyu:** **  
**a phone call that alerts me at least would be nice

 **beomgyu:** **  
**thanks for notifying me by the way

 **beomgyu:** **  
**appreciate it

 **yeonjun:  
** heh, sorry beom

 **yeonjun:  
** soobs and i will drop the twins off later

 **beomgyu:** **  
**what about tae?

 **yeonjun:** **  
**oh him too

 **beomgyu:** **  
**fine

 **beomgyu:** **  
**just make sure it isn’t too late

 **yeonjun:** **  
**will do

Beomgyu puts his phone away, shaking his head as he walks back toward his closet to continue changing.

Little does he know, though, that Taehyun _isn’t_ in fact with Soobin and Yeonjun, and in a different place instead.

\--

Taehyun slowly hugs his knees to his chest as he leans back against a wall. Soobin had left him alone barely ten minutes ago in an isolated alley. The town he is in is abandoned, with barely any people here. Taehyun is scared, alone, and hungry. He shivers in the cold breeze of the night and lets out a sob. He’s probably going to be left alone for the rest of his life, with no food, water, or shelter, his baby is going to starve, die, and Taehyun will be indeed alone. He’ll die from starvation, and no one except Soobin, Yeonjun, and Eunji will know what happened to them.

This is scaring Taehyun to death until he hears footsteps not that far from him. He lets out a whimper, but that’s when he hears two voices. He lets out a gasp when he recognizes them both. 

_J-Jisoo and Rosé noona._

Taehyun lets out a sob, but he can’t crawl from his sitting position. The bones he needs to crawl are broken and sprained, and there’s no way Jisoo and Rosé are going to notice him. Unless he lets out a scream, but his vocal cords hurt from how much he’s been screaming and crying for the last few hours.

“P-please help,” he says weakly, despite his voice sounding hoarse. Taehyun tries to speak up louder, but it only comes out broken. “H-help, please.”

-

“Do you really want to return home, unnie?” Rosé asks as she and Jisoo walk down the sidewalk to head toward her car.

“I don’t really have a choice, Chae,” Jisoo sighs. “I have a husband and two daughters at home. I can’t be gone forever.”

“Okay, but Beomgyu cheated on you,” Rosé reminds. “With your guys’ _slave_ , of all people. You should at least return your slave to headquarters.”

Jisoo shakes her head. “N-no. H-he’s been abused too much in his life for me to do that to him. Even though he’s damaged mine and Beomgyu’s marriage, it isn’t completely his fault, and no one deserves to go through all the pain slaves’ headquarters make them go through.”

“You’re too kind-hearted, unnie. Why-”

“Wait, Rosé,” Jisoo says as she hears something nearby.

Rosé looks at Jisoo in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“Do you hear that?” she questions. Rosé raises an eyebrow in confusion until she hears it: a weak, quiet voice calling out for help. “Th-that voice… I-it’s Taehyun’s. Tae?!”

“N-noona,” he calls out as loud as he can.

Jisoo turns toward where she heard the voice and notices an alleyway nearby. She starts running toward it and is surprised to see a weak Taehyun on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest. He’s shivering, and Jisoo can tell he’s badly hurt.

“Oh my god, Tae, what happened to you?” she asks as she takes off her coat to wrap it around Taehyun.

“C-cold,” he mutters, instead of replying to Jisoo. “S-so cold… H-hungry…”

“I think he needs to see the doctor, unnie,” Rosé says as she also wraps her coat around Taehyun.

“Do you know a slave friendly doctor that’s nearby?” Jisoo questions as she carefully picks up Taehyun.

“Um…” Rosé racks her brain, trying to remember which slave friendly doctor she knows. “Seonghwa. He lives nearby with Hongjoong and their kids.”

“How far?” Jisoo says as they go back to walking to Rosé’s car.

“Twenty minutes if we step on it.”

Jisoo nods. She and Rosé decide to make it run for it to Rosé’s car, and Jisoo makes sure hers and Rosé’s coats are tight around Taehyun. He’s shivering in Jisoo’s grip, and lets out a few whimpers and sobs here and there, despite being unconscious.

“Just hold on, Tae,” Jisoo mutters, taking off her beanie to place it on Taehyun’s head. “We’ll get you help soon.”

\--

Fortunately for the three of them, Seonghwa owns his own clinic. When Jisoo and Rosé arrive at his house, they explain the situation to him, before Seonghwa takes them to his clinic. Hongjoong stays back to take care of their children, whilst Seonghwa and the rest go to the clinic to take care of Taehyun. When they arrive, Seonghwa tells Jisoo and Rosé they can’t all be in the same room, so the two females wait outside. 

“Do you think we should call Beomgyu?” Rosé inquires. 

“No,” Jisoo replies as she checks her watch. “It’s late, and he’s probably asleep by now.”

“Isn’t he still at work?” Rosé says. “You said he stays over there for at least a whole day.”

Jisoo shakes her head. “He’s changed ever since Taehyun came into our lives.” Rosé stays quiet, not knowing what to say to that. They wait for twenty more minutes until the door of the room Taehyun is in opens, Seonghwa stepping outside. Jisoo immediately stands up, Rosé following after her. “H-how is he, Hwa?” 

“Not well,” he answers. “He’s got a broken arm, broken leg, fractured ankle, sprained wrist, his ribs are bruised, and his eye is slightly swollen.”

Tears spring in Jisoo’s eyes. “W-who would do this to him?”

“Do you know anyone whom could’ve?” Seonghwa asks.

Jisoo shakes her head. “E-everyone practically loves Taehyun. I-I don’t know whom would do this.”

“Well, if you do come up with an idea of whom would do this, tell me or the police,” Seonghwa says. “Oh, and one more thing I forgot to tell you.”

“W-what is it?” Rosé questions.

“The baby inside of Taehyun is healthy and safe,” Seonghwa informs. “There was no damage to it. It seems as if whoever messed up Taehyun, didn’t want his baby to go through the same thing.”

Jisoo’s and Rosé’s eyes widen. “T-Taehyun’s _pregnant?”_

“Y-you guys didn’t know?”

“No,” Jisoo mutters. She sighs, rubbing her temples. “This is totally not helping my headache.”

“I’ll get you some aspirin,” Seonghwa assures.

“Wait, Hwa,” Jisoo says, before the brown-haired male leaves. “Can we see Taehyun?”

“Sure, but he’s sleeping,” Seonghwa replies.

“Thanks, Hwa,” Rosé says. Seonghwa nods, and he bows to Jisoo and Rosé, before walking away. Jisoo sighs, and she sits down on the chair she was sitting on. Rosé sits down next to her and wraps her arms around the older. “You okay, unnie?”

“N-no,” she says. “Taehyun’s _pregnant_. The baby’s obviously Beomgyu’s, too. How did my life come up like this?”

“Everything’s going to be fine, love,” Rosé says. “Are you going to kick Taehyun out?”

“Of course not,” Jisoo says. “A pregnant person should never go through their pregnancy alone.”

“You still love Beomgyu, though,” Rosé reminds. 

“And yet, I’m ‘dating’ you.” 

“Our thing ended today, unnie,” Rosé says softly.

“Oh. Right.”

“It’s going to hurt you if you see Beomgyu and Taehyun kissing,” Rosé continues. “You have to do something about that, or else Beomgyu will end up divorcing you sooner or later. And, because of Taehyun’s pregnancy, it’s going to be sooner.”

“I know,” Jisoo sighs. “I just don’t know what to do.”

\--

It isn’t until an hour that Beomgyu arrives at his work that his phone starts ringing. He looks at his phone from his computer and notices Yeonjun’s name on the caller ID. Beomgyu sighs, and answers the call. “Hello?”

“Hi, Beom,” Yeonjun greets.

“Hi, hyung,” Beomgyu returns. “Why’d you call?”

“We’re outside,” Yeonjun says. “We came to drop off the twins.”

“The twins, right,” Beomgyu mutters, forgetting about them. “Okay, I’ll go pick them up. Wait, what about Taehyun?”

“I’m taking him shopping,” Yeonjun lies. “Is that okay?”

“Uh, sure,” Beomgyu sighs. “He didn’t tell me anything, though.”

“His phone is dead still,” Yeonjun says. “Well, bye now, Beom.”

Before the silver-haired male can return it, Yeonjun has already ended their call. Beomgyu sighs, and he places his phone down. He gets up from his chair and walks out of his office. Once he’s outside, his secretary looks up.

“Where are you going, Mr. Choi?” she asks.

“I’m going to pick up the twins downstairs,” Beomgyu explains.

“Do you want me to go instead, Mr. Choi?” his secretary offers.

Beomgyu shakes his head. “I can do it. Continue working, Kim.” His secretary nods and Beomgyu walks toward the elevator, pressing the down button. The elevator doors soon open, and Beomgyu walks inside, pressing the first-floor button. The elevator soon starts going down, and he arrives in the lobby a few seconds later. He immediately notices the twins nearby, but Soobin or Yeonjun are nowhere to be found. Thankfully, though, the receptionist is keeping them busy, so they don’t wander off. “Angels,” he calls out as he jogs toward them.

“Daddy!” they say excitedly with big smiles on their faces.

“Hey,” Beomgyu says. He looks at the receptionist. “Thank you.”

“Of course, Mr. Choi,” he says.

Beomgyu nods, and he grabs the twins’ hands, leading them toward the waiting room. “What are you guys doing here? I thought Yeonjun-Oppa wouldn’t drop you guys off until tonight.”

“They had something important to do, daddy,” Yoonah explains.

“Do you know what it is?” Beomgyu asks.

Yeona shakes her head. “They didn’t tell us.”

Beomgyu nods. “You guys didn’t do it this time, but whenever you guys are alone, don’t wander off. Wait until me or someone you know comes toward you, okay?”

“Okay, daddy,” the twins say in unison.

“Daddy, your workplace is very cool, big, and shiny,” Yoonah says as she looks around in awe.

“Thanks, angel,” Beomgyu says with a small smile. Even though he missed them earlier, Beomgyu can’t have them here. He won’t be able to take care of them, and neither will anyone else here. That’s why Beomgyu always left them at home with Taehyun, but the brunette is off with Yeonjun. Weirdly enough. Fortunately, though, Beomgyu knows whom he can call to take care of the twins. He dials the person’s number and waits for them to pick up.

They do a few seconds later. “Hello?”

“Hi, Jimin-hyung,” Beomgyu greets. “Are you busy right now?”

“No,” Jimin assures. “What’s up, Beom?”

“Um, I was wondering if you could pick up the twins,” Beomgyu says. “I’m at work, and I can’t take care of them here.”

“Oh, sure, Beom,” Jimin says. “When do you want me to drop them off at your house?”

“I’ll pick them up when I’m done with work. Is that okay, hyung?”

“That’s fine.” 

Beomgyu opens his mouth to say something else until he notices that someone else is trying to call him. And that ‘someone else’ is Jisoo. “Wait, don’t hang up, hyung, Jisoo’s calling me.”

“I’ll be right here, Beom,” Jimin says.

“Thanks,” Beomgyu mutters before he answers the call. “Hello?”

“H-hi, Beom,” Jisoo says, sounding nervous, much to Beomgyu’s surprise. “Are you busy right now?”

“Um, not really,” he replies. “Why?”

“Rosé, Taehyun, and I are at Seonghwa’s clinic.” 

Beomgyu happens to know Seonghwa, especially since he and the older are both friends with San. Seonghwa is one of Jinju-si’s famous doctors, so he owns his own clinic. “Really? Why? Who’s hurt?”

“Taehyun,” Jisoo says. “So come quick.”

Beomgyu’s mouth drops in shock, but he doesn’t have time to say anything else, since Jisoo hangs up. Beomgyu curses under his breath and returns to his and Jimin’s call.

“Actually, hyung, we’re fine,” Beomgyu says. “Sorry for bothering you.”

“You sure, Beom?” Jimin asks.

“Yes,” Beomgyu says. “Thanks, either way, hyung.”

“Yeah, of course,” Jimin says before he and Beomgyu end the call.

“What’s wrong, daddy?” Yoonah asks.

“Taehyun-ah’s in trouble,” Beomgyu says as he puts his phone away. “We’re going to go visit him in Jinju-si.”

“Where’s that?” Yeona says.

“Somewhere a bit far from here,” Beomgyu says. He grabs the twins’ hand and walks toward the receptionist. “Tell Kim I’m taking today off. It’s a family emergency.”

“As you wish, Mr. Choi,” he says.

Beomgyu nods, and he and the twins walk out of his company. Since Beomgyu barely arrived at his work an hour ago, his driver won’t be here until lunch, which is in two hours. They can’t wait that long, so Beomgyu is relieved that he brought his own car today. He leads them to his car, and he helps the twins buckle themselves in before he gets in the car himself. He puts on his seatbelt, shifts the gear to reverse, backs up from the parking spot he’s in, shifts the gear to drive, and starts driving toward Seonghwa’s clinic that’s in Jinju-si.

Three hours and thirty minutes later, they arrive in Jinju-si. Another thirty minutes later, they arrive outside Seonghwa’s clinic. Beomgyu can see Rosé’s car outside, so it gets him a bit annoyed that Jisoo was hanging with Rosé last night instead of being on her ‘business trip’, but he shoves the thought to the back of his head.

“Come on, twins, let’s go,” he says as he gets out of the car.

“Daddy, why are we here?” Yoonah questions as Beomgyu helps her and Yeona unbuckle themselves.

“Taehyun-ah’s here,” he explains. “We’re going to go visit him.”

“Is he hurt?” Yeona frowns as she and Yoonah get out of the car.

“I don’t know, angels,” Beomgyu sighs. “Let’s just hope he’s not.”

Beomgyu grabs onto the twins’ hands and leads them toward the clinic. The doors are closed and locked, so Beomgyu presses on the buzzer near the doors. He soon hears a buzzer go off, and Beomgyu pushes the door open, he and the twins stepping inside. He closes the door behind them, and looks up, seeing Seonghwa.

“Hi, hyung,” Beomgyu greets.

“Hi,” Seonghwa returns. He smiles down at the twins. “Hi, twins.”

“H-hi,” Yoonah shyly greets back. She and Yeona don’t spend that much time around Beomgyu’s other friends besides Yeonbin, so they’re shy around new people.

Seonghwa smiles, and he looks back at Beomgyu. “Do you want me to take you to Jisoo and the rest?”

Beomgyu nods. “Yes, please.”

Seonghwa nods this time, and he leads Beomgyu and the twins toward where Jisoo and Rosé are. They arrive a minute later, and the four can see the two females sitting on two chairs outside what probably is Taehyun's room.

“Mommy!” the twins say excitedly in unison as they run toward Jisoo.

“Hi, twins,” she chuckles as she catches them in her arms.

“Where’s Taehyun?” Beomgyu asks Seonghwa, deciding to worry about Jisoo and Rosé later. 

“He’s still sleeping,” he replies. 

“W-what happened to him?” Beomgyu says. “Why is he here?”

“I’ll leave Jisoo and Rosé noona to tell you,” Seonghwa says. He smiles at the twins. “Twins, why don’t we leave your mommy, daddy, and Rosé-unnie alone, so they can talk? We can watch Barbie in the waiting room.”

That gets the twins’ attention, so they follow behind Seonghwa, leaving the other three alone.

“What happened?” Beomgyu immediately demands once he, Jisoo, and Rosé are left alone.

“R-Roseé and I were…together last night,” Jisoo hesitantly starts, “and whilst we walked toward Rosé’s car, I heard something strange. I-I listened closer, and I realized that it was Taehyun. I-it was dark, so we couldn’t quite see him well, but he was injured. W-we decided to take him here, and we’ve been waiting for him to wake up for the last twelve hours or so.”

“Why didn’t you guys tell me anything?” Beomgyu asks.

“W-we thought you were asleep,” Rosé mutters. “W-we didn’t want to bother you.”

“Guys, this is _Taehyun_ we’re talking about,” Beomgyu says pointedly. “Whether I’m asleep or not, I need to know whether he’s hurt.”

Jisoo nods, but Beomgyu’s words make her remember Beomgyu’s and Taehyun’s affair, and how Taehyun is pregnant with Beomgyu’s child. “H-he’s inside that room if you want to see him.”

Beomgyu nods, and he walks inside the room Taehyun is in. Once Beomgyu walks in, he can see Taehyun laying on the bed, machines and wires connected to him. Beomgyu notices the cast on Taehyun’s leg, his arm, and how swollen the left side of his face is. Beomgyu frowns, and he walks over toward Taehyun. Thankfully, the brunette is breathing okay, but it looks as if he’s struggling to. Beomgyu can tell Taehyun is fine, though, and grabs Taehyun’s hand.

“I’m so sorry this happened to you, Tyun,” Beomgyu whispers as a tear rolls down his face. He expected Taehyun to have at least a sprained wrist or something, but he comes to this instead. “Who would ever do this to you?”

If only Beomgyu knew his own two ‘closest friends’ and mother did this to the love of his life.

\--

An hour later, Taehyun wakes up. His body feels sore and numb, thanks to the painkillers Seonghwa put in him when he first came here. At first, all that Taehyun sees and hears is the blinding white lights above him, and ringing noises inside his ears. But the more his vision clears, and he stays awake, the more he realizes the white lights above him aren’t so blinding, and the voices belong to Jisoo, Rosé, Beomgyu, and a voice Taehyun doesn’t recognize. He lets out a small groan, letting the people in the room know he’s awake.

“Taehyun,” the voice he doesn’t recognize says as it heads toward him. “How are you feeling?”

Taehyun looks up, seeing a beautiful brown-haired male looking down at him. “H-hungry. Th-thirsty.”

“I’ll go get some food and water,” Rosé volunteers before she walks out of the room.

“Oh my god, Tyun, I’m so glad you woke up,” he hears Beomgyu say, and Taehyun immediately turns toward him.

“G-Gyu?”

“Hey,” he greets, tears in his eyes. “How are you feeling?”

“O-okay so far,” Taehyun says. “No pain yet.”

“That’s good,” Beomgyu says. “What happened last night, Tyun?” At the mention of last night, flashes of what happened in Soobin’s and Yeonjun’s mansion run through Taehyun’s head, and his skin slightly pales. He starts shaking his head, continuously muttering ‘no’ under his breath. His hands grip the sheets of the bed he’s in, and Beomgyu is quick to help keep him under control. “Taehyun, look at me. Look at me.” Taehyun looks at Beomgyu, starting to feel a bit more relaxed once he looks at the older. “That’s it, Tyun. Take deep breaths for me. Can you do that?” Taehyun nods, and he follows Beomgyu’s example of taking deep breaths. Eventually, he starts feeling calmer, and his hands stop shaking. “That’s good. You did good, Tyun.”

The brunette smiles. “Th-thanks.”

“Maybe ask him about what happened later, Beomgyu,” Seonghwa advises.

Beomgyu nods. “Right, sorry.”

Seonghwa nods this time, and he looks at Taehyun with a soft smile. “Hi, Taehyun. My name is Park Seonghwa, and I’ve been your doctor for the past thirteen hours. How are you feeling?”

“B-besides hungry and thirsty, good,” Taehyun replies.

“Right,” Seonghwa mutters.

“W-what are my injuries?” Taehyun hesitantly asks.

“Well, because of the painkillers I put in you earlier, you don’t feel any pain,” Seonghwa says. “But you do have a broken arm, broken leg, fractured ankle, sprained wrist, bruised ribs, and the left side of your face is swollen.”

Flashes of what happened last night to him dare to run through Taehyun’s mind, but he pushes them to the back of his head. “W-when will everything heal?”

“There’s really no say, but around five months, each of the injuries should start healing,” Seonghwa replies. 

Taehyun nods. In five months, he’ll be six months pregnant. His bump will show, and he’d give birth in three months. Taehyun smiles at the thought.

“Is that all?” he asks.

“For your injuries, yes,” Seonghwa says. “Do you have any more questions, Taehyun?”

The brunette shakes his head. “No.”

“Okay, well, I’ll leave the three of you alone,” Seonghwa says before he walks out of Taehyun’s room.

“You had us worried sick about you last night, Tae,” Jisoo says once Seonghwa closes the door behind him. “R-Rosé and I thought you were going to die from starvation and hypothermia.”

“I-I’m fine now, noona,” Taehyun reminds. “Th-thanks, by the way, for taking me here.”

Jisoo nods. “Do you…mind telling us what happened last night?”

Taehyun bites his bottom lip. “H-hyungs… N-noona…”

“Which hyungs and noona?” Beomgyu questions. 

Taehyun bites harder down on his bottom lip, clenching the bedsheets tightly until his knuckles turn white. “S-Soobin. Y-Yeonjun. E-Eunji.”

Beomgyu’s and Jisoo’s eyes widen. _“Soobin, Yeonjun,_ and _Eunji_?”

Taehyun nods. He hesitates before he starts explaining what happened last night: arriving at Yeonbin’s house, Yeonjun inviting him inside, the two of them talking, Soobin arriving, the three of them talking, Eunji arriving, the other three acting weird, and finally, the part where Soobin, Yeonjun, and Eunji start abusing Taehyun for being a ‘slut.’ When he gets to this part, he hesitates because of Jisoo, but it’s time she knows, anyway. Surprisingly, though, she doesn’t flinch or has a reaction when Taehyun explains why Yeonbin and Eunji think he’s a slut. He continues explaining until he hears Jisoo and Rosé.

“Those bastards,” Beomgyu curses. He clenches his fists, and it’s obvious he’s holding himself back from punching someone or something. “No wonder Yeonjun was acting weird earlier.”

“What do you mean by that, Beom?” Jisoo asks.

“He was saying how he and Tae were going shopping,” Beomgyu says. “I knew Tae would alert me before he even went somewhere, but when I asked Yeonjun why Taehyun didn’t tell me, he’d just say Tae’s phone ‘died.’ I knew he was up to something. And Soobin? Fuck that bitch. I knew the whole ‘nice’ thing was just an act. And Eunji? She can rot in hell, for all I care. Fuck them.”

“G-Gyu, calm down,” Taehyun says, a bit scared of Beomgyu right now.

“‘Calm down’?” he repeats with a scoff. “Tae, how the fuck can I calm down when what I considered my two closest best friends and own _mother_ abused the shit out of you? They could’ve killed you, and you want me to ‘calm down’? Do you know where they can be?”

Taehyun shakes his head. “N-no. Sorry.”

Jisoo grabs Taehyun’s hand, stroking the top of it softly. “It’s okay, Tae. Nothing’s your fault.”

Taehyun nods. He and Jisoo silently watch as Beomgyu tries to calm down, until he takes out his phone, and dials a number. He waits for whomever he dialed to pick up, and they soon do. Beomgyu orders them to go to Yeonbin’s house, and tear everything down. He orders them to do a bit of damage to Soobin and Yeonjun, but nothing to Byeol. Beomgyu angrily hangs up, runs his fingers through his silver hair, and continues pacing. Jisoo and Taehyun just watch him, until he calms down around ten minutes later.

“Y-you feel all better now, Gyu?” Taehyun questions.

“Not really, but whatever,” Beomgyu grumbles. “Where is Rosé with the food?”

“She’ll be here soon, Beomgyu,” Jisoo assures.

\--

Five hours later, everyone except Seonghwa is back in Seoul. Seonghwa lets Taehyun go, especially since all his vitals seem good. He had Beomgyu, Jisoo, and Rosé step out of the room as he talked with Taehyun about the baby. To say Taehyun is more than relieved that his baby isn’t hurt is reasonable. He basically cried in front of Seonghwa when the older told him that. Seonghwa gave Taehyun a wheelchair, crutches, some instructions on how he should take care of himself before he releases him. Beomgyu and Jisoo thank Seonghwa and walk out of the brunette’s clinic. They head back to Seoul and arrive in front of Beomgyu’s and Jisoo’s house hours later.

“Home sweet home,” she says as she wheels Taehyun inside their mansion.

“I-I thought I’d never be in here again,” he says through a muffled sob, covering his mouth with his palm.

Jisoo smiles, knowing why Taehyun thought that. “Well, you are, Tae, which is a good thing.”

Taehyun nods, and Jisoo wheels him toward the living room. She places him next to the couch, and hears Beomgyu walking inside a few seconds later.

“I’ll be upstairs making some calls,” he informs. “If you need me, just call out for me.”

Jisoo and Taehyun nod, so Beomgyu leaves them alone. Once Jisoo makes sure that Beomgyu is out of sight and earshot, she looks at Taehyun.

“Tae, we need to talk,” she says.

Taehyun looks at Jisoo, a bit scared. “A-about what, noona?”

Jisoo sighs, and she leans a bit closer toward Taehyun. “Last night, when Seonghwa was telling Rosé and I are about your well being, he told us something he thought we knew.”

“W-what did he think you guys knew?” Taehyun hesitantly asks.

“That…you’re pregnant.”

Taehyun’s heart drops to his stomach. If it was possible, he’d yank it out from his rib cage, so it’d stop beating, and he would stop living. But it isn’t possible, so he still stays alive, despite wanting to be six feet underground right now.

“O-oh.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me, Taehyun?” Jisoo asks.

“B-because…” Taehyun bites his bottom lip, not wanting to tell Jisoo that the reason he didn’t want to tell her is because the baby he is carrying is Beomgyu’s. 

“Because the baby is Beomgyu’s?” Jisoo guesses.

Taehyun averts eye contact with Jisoo, looking down at his lap before he slowly nods. “Y-yeah.” Jisoo sighs and Taehyun is brave enough to look at her. He lets out a small whimper. “Y-you aren’t going to…beat me up for being a slut, are you?”

“What the heck, Taehyun?” Jisoo scoffs. “Why would I ever do that?”

Taehyun shrugs, looking down at his lap again. “Th-that’s why Soobin, Yeonjun, and Eunji beat me up. Th-they said they were doing it for you.”

Jisoo sighs. She grabs Taehyun’s hands, which makes him look up at her. “I would _never_ hurt you, Taehyun. Sure, I’m a bit hurt that you and Beom have been having an affair, but whatever. Your pregnancy is more important right now, Taehyun. Does Beomgyu know?”

Taehyun shakes his head. “I-I haven’t been able to tell him.”

“Well, tell him, before a doctor or someone else that knows does,” Jisoo says pointedly. “How far along are you?”

“A-a month,” Taehyun replies with a small smile. “Are you sure you’re okay with this, noona?” 

Jisoo smiles back, and she squeezes Taehyun’s hands. “I’m more than sure, Taehyun.”

But in reality, Jisoo isn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more chap to go 😿


	25. Hurt

Fortunately for Taehyun, he has everyone’s help taking care of him. Soobin, Yeonjun, Byeol, and Eunji are officially gone from Korea now since even Beomgyu’s dad doesn’t know where they are. But whatever. What matters now is that they’re gone and Taehyun’s well being. Each day that passes by, Taehyun’s stomach grows bigger. Does Beomgyu know about Taehyun’s pregnancy yet? Nope. Honestly, he and Jisoo are surprised that Beomgyu doesn’t know yet, since Taehyun’s bump has been peeking under his shirts now. Surely, Beomgyu would’ve remembered how a pregnant belly looks like, since Jisoo was barely pregnant seven years ago, and they still have pictures of when Jisoo was pregnant.

Either way, Taehyun _badly_ wants to tell Beomgyu the news. Every time he gets the chance to, he always bails. Beomgyu has been paying more attention to Taehyun, so he always pesters Taehyun about what he wants to say until he decides to drop it for Taehyun’s sake. 

Each day, the Chois—Beomgyu, _especially_ him, Jisoo, Yoonah, and Yeona—take care of Taehyun, since he can’t do mostly anything. To go up the stairs, Beomgyu carries him bridal style, just like he did when Taehyun’s heel was hurt. Beomgyu and Taehyun still have their moments here and there, even though Jisoo is here as well. Jisoo knows they kiss, hug, and sometimes even sleep behind her back, but for now, she couldn’t care less. 

Three months later, Taehyun is four months pregnant. His bump is showing a bit, but not too much that it'd be noticeable underneath big shirts. His injuries should be healed in two months, which is good because Taehyun can’t wait to start walking again. He and Beomgyu stopped sleeping together a week ago since Beomgyu can see Taehyun’s bump if he takes his shirt off. Taehyun could tell Beomgyu he’s just gaining a bit of weight, which is believable because Taehyun has been eating a lot of food lately. Hence why he’s pregnant. 

Since three months passed from January, it has been a year and two months that Taehyun became the Chois’ slave, and a year since his and Beomgyu’s affair started. Their ‘year anniversary’ is actually in seven days—a week—and Taehyun doesn’t know if Beomgyu has anything special planned. Probably not, since he’s been working a lot lately, but Taehyun can still hope, right?

Additionally, Taehyun’s eighteenth birthday passed. When he woke up that day, it was early as usual, but he was surprised when Beomgyu came into his room. Beomgyu kissed Taehyun as a good morning and a happy birthday, before carrying him downstairs. Beomgyu placed Taehyun down on the wheelchair, and once he looked up, he was surprised as to whom he saw.

_“M-mom? D-dad?”_

_The two said people smiled, tears in their eyes. Taehyun’s mom, Chaewon, had her mouth covered as she stared fondly at her now eighteen year old._

_“O-oh my god, Tae,” she said in a faint whisper. “M-my baby’s eighteen years old now.”_

_“M-mom,” Taehyun sobbed._

_His parents smiled, and they ran over toward Taehyun. The three engulfed each other into a hug and hugged for what seemed like a century, before pulling away from each other._

_“Happy birthday, Tae,” his dad, Jun-woo, said with a small smile as he tucked a brown strand behind his ear._

_Taehyun smiled. “Th-thanks, dad. W-why did you guys leave last time?”_

_“The person Beomgyu made the arrangements with called him, and said we had to go back,” Chaewon explained. “We’re so sorry we couldn’t say bye to you, Tae.”_

_The brunette smiled. “It’s fine, mom. At least I can see you guys again.”_

The rest of Taehyun’s eighteenth birthday party was amazing, and everyone could see that Taehyun enjoyed his special day. But now that he’s eighteen, he has more freedom than his younger self did. For example, his younger self couldn’t be out by himself without a guardian or his master, but now that he’s eighteen, he can be by himself outside. He can also defend himself in court instead of being quiet if he’s having trouble with someone. 

Currently, it is April, and Taehyun is barely getting up. Ever since his injuries happened, his sleep schedule has been a bit messed up, so on some days he wakes up early, others _super_ early, others after or during six a.m., others even after noon, and sometimes he doesn’t sleep at all. But today is one of those days where Taehyun gets up after or during six a.m., and when he checks the time on the clock nearby, he notices that it’s eight-twelve a.m. The others are already up—hell, even the twins are already at school. Taehyun grabs his phone from the nightstand with his free hand and opens his and Beomgyu’s messages.

(the two agreed that taehyun should text or call beomgyu whenever he needed, especially once he woke up, so taehyun wouldn’t have to go through any trouble.)

 **taehyun:**  
morning beom i’m awake

It takes around three minutes, but Beomgyu soon replies.

 **beomgyu:** **  
**sorry, tyun, but i’m already at work

 **beomgyu:** **  
**jisoo’s downstairs tho

 **taehyun:** **  
**oh ok

Taehyun puts his phone away. He’s dealt with situations like these before. Jisoo is strong enough to carry Taehyun. But down a flight of stairs? She isn’t. In situations like these, Taehyun or Jisoo call one of the bodyguards, and they carry Taehyun down the stairs. Taehyun presses a button beside his bed, knowing that one of the guards should be here soon. Not even a minute later, there’s a knock at his door.

“C-come in,” he allows.

The door opens, revealing one of the guards whom’s Taehyun has known ever since he first came here. The two are friends, but not that close like Jisoo and Taehyun are.

“Hi, Taehyun,” the guard greets.

“Hi,” Taehyun returns. “Morning.” The guard smiles, and he picks up Taehyun. The brunette makes sure his arms are secure around the guard, and the older male carries him down the stairs. Jisoo is in the kitchen, so she doesn’t notice Taehyun and the guard yet. The guard places Taehyun down on his wheelchair once they arrive at the bottom of the stairs, and makes sure everything is secure. The guard then wheels Taehyun to the kitchen, where they see Jisoo making herself a cup of coffee. The guard pats Taehyun’s shoulder, before he leaves them alone, walking out of the mansion. “Good morning, noona,” he says, startling Jisoo.

“Oh, Taehyun, you scared me,” she says.

Taehyun smiles apologetically. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Jisoo says. “Do you want some coffee? I made some, but it’s black.”

“Uh, no I’m fine,” Taehyun says with a small smile. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Scrambled eggs and toast,” Jisoo replies as she takes out a plate from the fridge. She places it in the microwave to start heating it. “I knew you wouldn’t want black coffee, so I made you a banana smoothie. Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” Taehyun says, nodding. “Thanks, noona.”

Jisoo nods this time. She soon takes out Taehyun’s plate from the microwave and serves him his banana smoothie. Taehyun thanks her, and the two eat their breakfast together. Jisoo usually goes to work, but ever since Taehyun got injured, she’s stayed home with him. Of course, she doesn’t mind—she just has to work in her office now, or in the living room where she can stay available to Taehyun at all times. It does get a bit annoying, but Jisoo deals with it as a mature person should.

Throughout the rest of the day, Jisoo and Taehyun spend it together. Jisoo mostly works, but she and Taehyun do talk here and there. Taehyun mainly spends his time watching the TV, since he can’t really do anything else. When he feels sick, Jisoo brings him a bucket, where he throws up in it. When he feels hungry, Jisoo makes him his weird snacks. When he wants to pee, Jisoo takes him to the bathroom, helps him out of the wheelchair, and stands outside to wait for Taehyun. The day goes on like any other day, and when it’s time to pick up the twins, Jisoo lets the driver do it. When the twins come home, they’re ecstatic to see Taehyun after their long day at school.

Nine or ten hours after the twins come home, Beomgyu does as well.

Beomgyu comes home around 9:35 PM, and he comes dressed in his suit, but everyone can see that the tie is loosened up since he’s been stressed.

“Everyone, I’m home!” he calls out, closing the door behind him.

“Daddy!” the twins squeal as they run from the kitchen toward Beomgyu.

The silver-haired male smiles, and he crouches down to accept the twins in his arms. Taehyun is also in the kitchen since he and the twins were helping Jisoo make dinner, but once he hears Beomgyu arrive, he wheels himself slightly to see Beomgyu. Once Taehyun sees how happily the older accepts the twins in his arms, Taehyun can’t help but let out a smile, thinking about how Beomgyu’s face might light up when there’s going to be a third little kid to come home to in less than six months. Taehyun subconsciously places his hand on his bump that’s barely there.

“Hi, Beom.” Jisoo is next to greet Beomgyu, but the two stopped kissing each other as a greeting when the other comes home long ago. Mainly because of Beomgyu’s and Taehyun’s affair. But honestly? Taehyun is glad Beomgyu and Jisoo don’t kiss each other anymore, or else he’d get insanely jealous, which isn’t good for his health.

“Hi,” Beomgyu returns as he walks into the kitchen, the twins following behind him like lost puppies. Once Beomgyu’s eyes land on Taehyun, a brighter smile appears on his face, and he slightly bends down to kiss Taehyun’s forehead. “Hi, Tyun.”

“Hi, Gyu,” he greets back. “How was work?”

“It was fine, I guess,” Beomgyu mutters. “What are you guys doing?”

“We’re making dinner,” Jisoo replies. 

“What type of dinner?” Beomgyu asks.

“Kimchi fried rice and chicken!” Yoonah says. “Do you want some, daddy?”

“Only if you and Yeo do,” he answers with a smile.

“We do, so you’re eating with us, daddy,” Yeona says.

“Deal,” Beomgyu agrees as he intertwines his pinky with the twins’. “I’ll be back to wash up.” The others nod, and Beomgyu leaves to go upstairs. The twins and Taehyun continue helping Jisoo, and ten minutes later, Beomgyu comes down the stairs dressed in a hoodie and pants, rolling the sleeves up until his elbows. Taehyun gulps at the sight but tries to not stare too long at it. “Do you guys need help?”

“Can you cut the veggies, please?” Jisoo questions.

Beomgyu nods, and he grabs the cutting board, the dish all the vegetables are in, and a knife. He decides to sit down next to Taehyun, placing a kiss on his cheek as he does. Taehyun’s face heats up, and the twins stare at them in slight confusion. They don’t ask anything about it, though, much to Beomgyu’s and Taehyun’s relief. The five continue working together until dinner is done, and Beomgyu and Jisoo serve the plates, whilst the twins place down the utensils. The five laugh and talk together as they eat their dinner, and finish twenty minutes later.

“Do you need help doing anything else, noona?” Taehyun says as Jisoo picks up his plate to place it in the sink.

“No,” she replies. “I’ll be fine, Tae.”

The brunette nods. Even if Jisoo did need help, it’s not like Taehyun would be able to do it, anyway.

“Mommy, now that Yeo and I helped you, can we and Taehyun watch a movie in the living room?” Yoonah inquires hopefully.

“Sure, angel,” Jisoo allows.

Yeona squeals. “Yay! Can we push Taehyun-ah to the living room?”

“How about I do that, angels?” Beomgyu suggests as he quickly gets up. The last time he, Jisoo, and Taehyun let the twins push Taehyun somewhere, they almost ended up making him fall out of the chair, which might’ve made him break another bone.

“Aww, okay,” Yoonah frowns, knowing why the others won’t let them push Taehyun.

Beomgyu smiles, and he grabs the handles of the wheelchair the brunette is in. Beomgyu pushes Taehyun toward the living room, the twins leading them. Beomgyu places Taehyun next to the couch, and sits down on it as he helps the twins decide which movie they should watch.

“Ooh, how about _The Pirate Fairy_?” Yeona says as they come across the movie.

“Twins, we literally saw that movie yesterday,” Taehyun chuckles.

“It’s a good movie, though,” Beomgyu pouts, seeming to be on the twins’ side.

“Yeah, what daddy said,” Yoonah agrees.

Taehyun sighs. “Fine.”

Beomgyu lets out a small squeal, and he pecks Taehyun’s lips. “Yay! Thanks, Taehyunnie!” The brunette hasn’t been called that nickname by Beomgyu for a long time, so his face turns red. Taehyun just clears his throat, but Beomgyu notices his blushing, which makes him chuckle. Beomgyu puts the DVD in the DVR, and he and the twins sit back on the couch, whilst they wait for the movie to start. “Should we get some snacks?”

“Ooh, yes!” Yeona replies. “Get the gummies, please, daddy.”

Beomgyu nods, getting up. He turns to look at Taehyun. “You want anything, Tyun?”

“No I’m fine,” he says. Beomgyu nods, and he pecks Taehyun’s forehead as he walks past him. The younger lets out a smile at the gesture and turns back around, not expecting the twins to be staring at him. “I-is everything fine, twins?”

“Taehyun-ah, why does daddy kiss you?” Yoonah asks.

“I thought only mommy and daddy were allowed to kiss each other,” Yeona adds.

“They both kiss you guys, though,” Taehyun says pointedly.

“Yeah, but on the lips they don’t,” Yoonah says. “Mommy and daddy used to do that, but now they don’t. Daddy only does it to you now.”

Yeona’s eyes widen. “Does that mean you’re our new mom, Taehyun-ah?”

“No, twins,” he giggles. “It’s just…your daddy loves me a bit more than your mommy. It’s not bad or anything, they’re still your mommy and daddy, but your daddy and I love each other now. We…we even made another child together.”

Yoonah’s eyes widen this time as well. “D-does that mean Yeo and I are having a brother or sister?”

“Mhm,” Taehyun confirms, placing a hand on his tiny bump. “I have a baby growing in my belly, just like you two grew in your mommy’s tummy long ago.”

“W-wow,” Yeona says. “D-do mommy and daddy know?”

“Only your mommy does,” Taehyun says. “Which is very important that you don’t tell your dad. That’s _my_ job, okay? Please don’t tell them anything, twins. I’m trusting you on this one, girls.”

Yoonah and Yeona look at each other. They usually spill everyone’s secrets, because they think it’s a lot of fun, but the way Taehyun is looking at them makes them think that maybe it _wouldn’t_ be fun to spill Taehyun’s secret. He might end up heartbroken if the twins spill the beans to Beomgyu, so just this time, they won’t.

“Okay, Taehyun-ah!” they say in unison. “We promise we won’t tell daddy anything!”

“You promise?” Taehyun asks, holding out his pinky.

The twins nod, and they wrap their pinkies around Taehyun’s. “We promise!”

The brunette smiles. “Thanks, twins.”

\--

An hour later, the twins are asleep. They slept halfway through _The Pirate Fairy_ , and Beomgyu took them upstairs. Jisoo finished cleaning the kitchen a long time ago, so she went upstairs to finish her work. Beomgyu and Taehyun stayed downstairs _alone_ , but Taehyun’s injuries haven’t healed well enough for them to do anything _spicy_. So they just cuddled up close together and watched the rest of _The Pirate Fairy_ together. When the movie is over, Beomgyu puts another one that they agree to watch, and Taehyun sits on Beomgyu’s lap for the rest of the movie.

Halfway through the movie, Taehyun feels himself struggling to keep his eyes open. He leans his head against Beomgyu’s shoulder, and Beomgyu seems to be able to tell that Taehyun is tired, wanting to go to sleep now.

“Tyun?” Beomgyu softly calls out, placing his hand on Taehyun’s thigh.

Taehyun hums. “Yeah?”

“You want to go to sleep now?” 

Taehyun nods. “M-mhm. M’tired.”

Beomgyu smiles, and he presses a kiss on Taehyun’s forehead. “Let’s go up to your bedroom, then.”

Taehyun nods, and he lets Beomgyu pick him up. He wraps his legs around Beomgyu’s waist, being careful of his broken leg, and does the same to his arms around Beomgyu’s neck. Beomgyu carries Taehyun upstairs, and they soon reach Taehyun’s room. Beomgyu carries Taehyun toward the bathroom, where he brushes his teeth. Beomgyu carries him back outside, where he helps Taehyun change into his pajamas. When they’re all done, Beomgyu tucks Taehyun in and smiles fondly down at him.

“G-goodnight, Gyu,” he mutters, smiling back at the older just as fondly.

“Goodnight,” he returns. “Sweet dreams, Tyun.”

The brunette smiles, and he brings Beomgyu in for a kiss. Beomgyu kisses Taehyun back, and he expects the kiss to be chaste, but Taehyun soon deepens the kiss, plunging his tongue inside Beomgyu’s mouth. Beomgyu isn’t complaining, though, and he climbs on top of Taehyun. The brunette entangles his fingers in Beomgyu’s hair with his good arm, but before they can go anywhere further than that, they hear someone clearing their throat at the doorway of Taehyun’s bedroom. Beomgyu is quick to get off of Taehyun, clearing his throat awkwardly.

“S-sorry to interrupt.” It’s Jisoo who’s at the door. “Beomgyu, I need to speak with you.”

“R-right,” he mutters. Beomgyu looks down at Taehyun. “Goodnight, Tyun.”

The younger smiles. “Goodnight, Gyu.”

The two smile at each other, before Beomgyu walks out of Taehyun’s bedroom. Beomgyu closes the door behind him and follows Jisoo to her office. Once they arrive, Jisoo closes the door behind her, and Beomgyu gives her a slight look of confusion. 

“What do you need to talk about, Jisoo?” he asks.

“We need to talk about Taehyun,” she replies.

“I-is it because you saw us kissing?” Beomgyu says hesitantly.

“Not only that,” Jisoo sighs. “You guys kiss in front of the twins, too. It’s bad enough that you guys do in front of _me_ , but in front of the twins, too? Isn’t that going a bit too far?”

“Oh, sorry,” Beomgyu apologizes. “I thought you didn’t mind, since you were with Rosé.”

Jisoo sighs again. “Beomgyu, Rosé and I ended things the day Taehyun was at the hospital. I haven’t talked to her nor the girls ever since.”

“Well, you still cheated on me, and told me you were on a ‘business trip’,” Beomgyu reminds, crossing his arms. “At least _I_ didn’t lie to you where I was.”

“See, this is the problem,” Jisoo says. “We’ve been fighting whenever we try to talk to each other. Can’t things go back the way they were?”

“Okay, fine,” Beomgyu says in defeat. “I’ll try not to fight with you anymore at every word you say.”

“That’s not what I mean, Beomgyu,” Jisoo says with a small frown.

Beomgyu looks at Jisoo with a raised brow. “Then what _did_ you mean?”

“Before…” Jisoo takes a deep breath. “Before we bought Taehyun as a slave. Before we even _thought_ about buying a slave. Before everything this past year. Can’t we go back to that?”

“What do you mean before we bought Taehyun?” Beomgyu asks. “Are you suggesting we go back to being in love, Jisoo?”

“Yes,” she says. “Don’t you miss it, Beomgyu? I do, and the twins obviously do, too.”

Beomgyu sighs. “Look, Jisoo. I love you, but…”

“You love Taehyun more,” she finishes.

“Yeah,” Beomgyu agrees. “I’m okay with you staying here, but that’s only because of the twins. I don’t want us to share custody with them, so this is what we’re going to have to deal with. But Taehyun has to stay here, too, because he’s part of the family now.”

“When we first bought him, you didn’t use to think that,” Jisoo says pointedly, crossing her arms.

“Well, that was old, stupid me,” Beomgyu says. “Now I love Taehyun with all my heart, Jisoo. I’m sorry if you still can’t get that wrapped around your head, but I do. I’m sorry.”

“Well, we have to do what’s best for the twins,” Jisoo says. 

“Which is?”

“Being a real married couple,” Jisoo says. “I love you, Beomgyu, and I want our old relationship back.”

“Jisoo-”

“You love Taehyun, I know,” she interrupts. “But he doesn’t have to be here.”

“What the fuck, Jisoo?” Beomgyu exclaims. “We’re not kicking him out.”

“Beomgyu-”

“I said we’re not,” he basically snaps. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Kim? He has two broken bones, a sprained wrist, bruised ribs, and you want to _kick_ him out?”

Jisoo sighs, and she feels tears springing in her eyes. “I-I just want _us_ back, Beomgyu.”

“Well, I don’t,” he grumbles. “I’m sorry, Jisoo, but I don’t. If you can’t deal with that, then that’s your problem. Go deal with it by yourself or with Rosé or something.”

With that, Beomgyu storms out of Jisoo’s office. She soon hears the door of the guest bedroom Beomgyu has been sleeping in slam a few seconds later. Jisoo sighs, and she closes the door of her office. She glances at her phone, contemplates her options for a while before she grabs her phone to dial a number.

\--

Two months later, Taehyun is officially six months pregnant now. His bump shows now, even under big shirts, so Taehyun has to wear shirts six times his size. His body drowns in them, and Beomgyu always asks him why he’s wearing shirts like these, but Taehyun says because it makes him comfortable. He isn’t the only one who notices his bump’s growth, though, since Jisoo and the twins do as well. The twins are fascinated, and they press their hand against Taehyun’s belly whenever they get the chance to because now the baby in Taehyun’s stomach is kicking. He first felt the kick a few weeks ago and was shocked but ecstatic, yet sad that he couldn’t tell Beomgyu.

Which brings us to our question: has Taehyun told Beomgyu about his pregnancy yet?

Nope.

It frustrates the twins so much since they already want Beomgyu to know, so they can all talk about it, but they have to respect Taehyun’s decision. Taehyun promises himself he will do it soon, but the day he gives birth is only three months away. Is ever going to do it?

Probably not.

The way Beomgyu’s going to find out about Taehyun’s pregnancy is if Taehyun announces it by his water breaking, and having to go into labor soon.

Of course, Jisoo tells Taehyun everything she knows about pregnancy, and Taehyun is a bit scared to go into labor, especially since it’s a _very_ painful experience. At least he doesn’t have to push out two babies as Jisoo did.

Since it’s now June, the twins’ seventh birthday passed a week ago, and Beomgyu and Jisoo invited their close friends and family members. They all celebrated the twins’ birthday, and the day after that it was the day to get Taehyun’s casts removed. Sunmi came to check up on him this time since Jinju-si is three hours and forty minutes away from Seoul. Sunmi checked Taehyun’s bones, and she removed the cast on his leg with a boot and the cast on his arm with a sling. Taehyun’s arm and leg hurt less than they did five months ago, which he is _so_ thankful for since he can finally do more stuff on his own without needing anyone’s help. 

Currently, it’s been nine days—a week and two days—since Sunmi visited them, and Taehyun is asleep. He doesn’t expect himself to wake up in at least six hours, since it is midnight. But that all comes crumbling down when he feels himself being picked up from his bed, and his eyes shoot open. All he sees is darkness since there are no lights on, which just makes him more afraid.

“H-hey, let me go!” he demands, struggling against the people who are carrying him.

“Kang.02, please calm down.” Taehyun recognizes the voice as Beomgyu’s _driver_. “Everyone is sleeping.”

“I was sleeping, too!” Taehyun reminds. “W-what are you doing?!”

“Please calm down, or else we’ll put a gag in your mouth,” the other person warns. This time, Taehyun doesn’t recognize the voice.

“H-help-”

Just as he was warned, Taehyun’s mouth is soon stuffed with a cloth.

“We warned you, Kang.02,” Beomgyu’s driver sighs.

Taehyun glares at him and kicks his stomach. Beomgyu’s driver glares back at him but doesn’t do anything. Taehyun continues struggling against their grips, but they don’t let go of him. Not until they transport him into a car, drive him somewhere that’s at least three hours away, dump him in an isolated sidewalk, before driving away.

“H-hey, come back!” he calls out. 

It’s just like what happened five months ago: Soobin dumping Taehyun in an abandoned alley, leaving him by himself. Taehyun whimpers at the thought, and he tries to get up, but his body is shaking too much. Although it is June, the temperatures in South Korea during the night are _freezing_ cold, so Taehyun starts shivering. He’s only dressed in his pajamas, but they’re silk since he thought it’d be too hot to dress in his fuzzy ones.

Taehyun lets out a quiet sob as he back himself up to the nearest wall, wrapping his arms around himself. Fortunately, his baby is still sleeping, and Taehyun hopes they never wake up. He’s left alone again, with no food, water, or shelter. He can’t do anything to fend for himself, especially since his leg and arm aren’t healed yet. But now it wasn’t Soobin, Yeonjun, nor Eunji who did this to him.

So, who was it?

 _That doesn’t matter right now, Taehyun_ , he thinks to himself. _All you need to do now is find someplace warm, where you and the baby won’t freeze to death._

Taehyun nods to himself, and he slowly gets up. His body is shivering more intensely now, so he walks slowly toward the nearest building he can find. Luckily (or not), it’s an apartment building, so Taehyun can stay inside there until Beomgyu realizes he’s gone and comes looking for him. But that won’t happen until probably nine p.m. later today, so Taehyun’s other choice is to knock on people’s doors until someone (who hopefully isn’t a creep) opens the door for him.

Taehyun knocks on everyone’s door that lives on the first floor, but no one opens it for him. Who would when it’s 3:39 in the morning? Nevertheless, Taehyun keeps trying for his baby and limps toward the elevator to reach the second floor. He walks in once the elevator doors open, and it descends until it stops once it reaches the second floor. Taehyun knocks on everyone’s door and starts giving up hope until he reaches apartment two hundred forty. He lets out a whimper, and weakly knocks on the door, hoping someone will open it.

When nothing happens a minute later, Taehyun starts to turn to walk away, but that’s when he hears the door unlocking. He sighs in relief. _Finally, someone opens the door-_

“T-Taehyun?”

At the familiar voice, the brunette’s eyes widen. Taehyun looks up at the owner of the voice, indeed seeing the familiar raven-haired male who saved him months ago when he was surrounded by creeps.

“H-Hueningkai.”

“W-what are you doing here?” he asks, rubbing his eye. “It’s three in the morning.”

“I-I need your help,” Taehyun says pleadingly with a small frown.

“With what?” 

“I-I was kicked out of my house,” Taehyun says. “I don’t know why, or who did it, but…I’m pregnant. It’s freezing cold out there, and I just need a place to stay for the night. C-can I stay at yours?”

“Y-you’re pregnant?” Kai says in surprise.

Taehyun nods, and he hugs his shirt tighter to his bump, so it can be more noticeable. “I-I’m six months along.”

“Why didn’t you say that sooner?” Hueningkai mutters. He opens his door wider. “Come in.”

Taehyun sighs in relief, and he steps inside Kai’s _warm_ apartment. “Th-thank you.”

Hueningkai nods, and he closes the door behind Taehyun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m sad this is the end 😿 i enjoyed writing this :’) thanxx for all the love and support, besties 😽 i love y’all <3


End file.
